*This is a guest post. The opinions expressed are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect my own.
The world should be a beautiful and safe place for children to grow up in. The adults in their lives should be people that will care for and protect them, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. There is no way of completely knowing everything about the people that a child will come into contact with every day. But the more that you know about the people in their life, the safer your children will be.
Background Checks Can Prevent Crimes Against Children
900,000 children are criminally mistreated every year. Many of the crimes against children can be prevented, though, if parents and caregivers know that a person in their child’s life could be dangerous. Background searches are great for keeping your kids safe. A background check can educate you about the people that are in your child’s life and can prevent unwanted solicitations that can place your child in danger.
Teens Are At Risk For Sexual Solicitation
Teenagers are particularly targeted by solicitations, especially online. 1 in 5 American teenagers has received an unwanted sexual solicitation online. Only 25% of these teens told a parent about the solicitation. As parents, you can stay a step ahead of the game and know about these people before they target your child.
The People You Know Are The Ones You Need To Know All About
Most of these solicitations were not random messages from strangers. 86% of the children who suffer sexual abuse are abused by someone that they know. The majority of child predators attempt to get close to their victims and become friends with them first. These people befriend your child online or could even be friends of theirs at school. Approximately one-third of sex offenders are underage juveniles themselves.
There are approximately 747,400 registered sex offenders in the U.S. In some communities, the number of registered sex offenders has risen by more than 80% in the last ten years. Many states have already taken action and now require background checks on childcare providers and their employees. Background checks can reveal the hidden truths about the people that your children have come to trust. They can tell you if the people who are going to be taking care of your child are people that come from a troubled past or could have dangerous intentions toward your child.
Who Should You Run A Background Check On?
The people in your child’s life who they spend the most time with and who have gained your child’s trust are the first people that you should run a background check on. This list should include:
- Childcare Providers
- Nannies
- Babysitters
- Coaches
- Mentors
- Religious Leaders
- Teachers
- Neighbors
- Parents of Your Child’s Friends
- Boyfriends or Girlfriends
- Anyone That You Are Suspicious Of
These are the people who are going to be in your child’s life, and your child is at the most risk with these people. It’s okay to be suspicious of anyone in your child’s life. In fact, running a background check on someone can only end two ways. Either the results will reveal that the person has a clean background or you will learn that the person has a questionable or dangerous background and you will possibly be saving your child’s life. Both of these results are positive.
What Can A Background Check Reveal?
A background check can give you the peace of mind that you are looking for. It can provide information that cannot be accessed any other way. This valuable information is essential for protecting your child. Background checks can give you information about:
- Online Profiles
- Traffic Offenses
- Arrest Records
- Misdemeanors
- Sexual Offenses
- Relatives
- Court Records
- Mugshots
- Birth Records
- Address Information
- Phone Numbers
- Felonies
A background check software that’s free and that gives you instant results can provide you with the information that you need about the people in your child’s life. Background searches are great for keeping your kids safe and will help you to know who your child should be hanging out with and who they shouldn’t. If your child could possibly spend time alone with a person, it is crucial that you know that the person is safe for your child to be around.
Criminal Background Checks Can Save Lives
A criminal background check can uncover a child predator, a previous sex offender, someone with anger issues, or an abuser. Running a background search doesn’t make you a suspicious person who doesn’t trust, it makes you a smart person. You are responsible and are willing to take those extra precautions to take care of the children in your life. You can be key in protecting your child from becoming one of these terrible statistics. And it only takes minutes.
About the author:
Amy Scholl is the Youth Technology Safety Specialist at KidGuard – Dedicated to finding the best child safety measures for parents, grounded in research. Being knowledgeable about youth online usage is a key component of effective 21st-century parenting.