One of the illusions we live with is that the people we work with and trust actually deserve that trust. There was recently a story on CNN about a woman in Mississippi who was involved in the gulf cleanup. She was raped by her supervisor who happened to be a convicted sex offender. CNN tried to follow the trail of the various contractors and subcontractors to see if anyone had actually checked. Every agency basically issued a statement saying it wasn’t their responsibility to check backgrounds. It’s sort of ironic that they generally do require a drug test, but do not do any sort of criminal checking.
What About Our Children
The same is true of most people who work with children. There is NO screening for many positions you might expect. For example – in Connecticut if you work at a camp for children, the only screening requirements are for the director and assistant director. And this is just a self disclosure that you have not been convicted of an offense against a child. And people regularly lie and there is nothing to stop them. Child protective agencies often unsuspectingly hire child molesters who lie to get access to children who have been previously abused (because they make easier targets). It usually takes 30-60 days for a background investigation to be completed, and most workers have access to client records beginning on day 1.
Teachers are a specially messy situation. Since not all states have mandatory reporting regulations, reporting of abuse by teachers is often discretionary. Often times the teacher will agree to resign and that is the end of it. They often pack up and move before any legal action is taken. And based on employment law, someone checking references can only be told that the person was employed by XYZ and the dates.
So don’t take for granted that the people who are spending time with your children deserve your trust. Ask questions and check your assumptions.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
