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Abstract
Summary: The
New Precautions by SHR thwart sexual predators who infiltrate
youth and children's programs. There is no volunteer
alienation because there is no naming or shaming of any
individuals. Innovative, in-depth background checking is at
last permitted. This is a worker-authentication project based upon administrative inquiry to avoid conflict-of-interest. It is not a law enforcement program for detecting criminals. The New Precautions are for Churches, Youth Sports,
Commercial Child Care, Mentoring, After-schools, Private
schools, Foster Care, Public Education, Healthcare, Eldercare, Disability Programs and any high-profile youth-serving groups whose
reputations would be harmed by Press accounts that they employ
or certified somebody who is thought to have molested children
in the past. Program methods are licensed to the
user-organization by SHR, a nonprofit registered national
charity active in all states, based in Morgan County, Ohio.
More
Details:
Two
events, the attack of 9/11 and the
continuing publicity on clergy child abuse have changed the
balance and affected the tension between privacy and
precaution in America. Respected surveys* indicate the
majority favors strengthening precautions but does not favor
relinquishing any privacy protection to do it. But there is
one glaring exception where citizens favor both: child
protection.*
Dependable data indicate one in four-to-six little
girls and one in seven-to-twelve little boys** will be molested by an
adult they “know.” Molesters and child abusers are drawn to
infiltrate youth and children’s programs which are loathe to
admit any vulnerability. High
profile organizations such as Little League Baseball, Boy
Scouts, and numerous Catholic Dioceses recently (Fall 2002)
introduced criminal history background checks, touting them as
a significant step forward in child protection. It is not.
Much fewer than 6%, some say 3%***, of abusers are ever
caught, ever will even have a criminal history
to find. Worse, these groups intend to exempt existing staffs,
the incumbents, from any checks at all. Who does the molesting
right now? Clearly, stopping new volunteers who are convicted
abusers previously caught and released, while welcome, is not
likely to reduce much of today’s ongoing child abuse. And it
is very unlikely this measure will impact programs already
being abused as supply lines for well trusted serial
predators, most
of whom are “pillars-of-the- community” religious, educated,
prosperous, married, charming, and apparently selflessly
devoted to helping needy children and their families. They
have no criminal history, can produce dozens of gushing
testimonials, and have impeccable credentials. And they know
how to groom victims and their families into enthusiastic fans,
making suspicion impossible to conceive.
SHR has found a way to significantly strengthen
child abuse precautions beyond the superficial criminal
history, while thoroughly respecting constitutional and
privacy rights. SHR’s proprietary approach trains program
leaders how to appraise the Appearance of
Potential for Complaint (APC’s) a
trademarked process of screening workers’ backgrounds with
private and administrative sources, not judicial ones. This
information guides the program leader’s choices of whether
roles and duties to be offered the volunteer should include
activities that might support grooming.
*Bureau
of Justice Statistics, US Dept of Justice: Report of the
National Task Force on Privacy, Technology, and Criminal
Justice Information. August 2001
** The Socially Skilled Child Molester, Haworth Press 2006, Carla van Dam, Forensic Psychologist.
***Understand
and Protecting Your Children from Child Molesters and
Predators. Jewell & Jenson, published by Oprah Winfrey's
internet enterprises..
Program location and facilities; Morgan County, Ohio. 6999
Dolan Road, Glouster OH 45732. Facilities are a
satellite-connected dual purpose office located on a 40-acre
wooded campus with independent energy and communication
facilities.
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