Youth sports organizations provide opportunities for hundreds of thousands of kids nationwide. From baseball and basketball to swimming and gymnastics, many groups are dedicated to organizing youth sports. These groups include schools, nonprofits and official sports organizations. Unfortunately, there is a darker side to youth sports: predators lurking among volunteers and coaches. Hence, background checks in youth sports are more important than ever.
Recent history has revealed the tragic extent of these problems and the need for a better approach to using a criminal background check for schools or nonprofit sports groups. The USA Gymnastics scandal, which exploded into the open in 2016, illustrates the issue. For more than two decades, many hundreds of young gymnasts suffered abuse at the hands of adults in the organization.
Many participated, but the best-known name associated with the scandal was Larry Nasser, a doctor. Nasser abused more than 250 women repeatedly. Nasser is behind bars for the rest of his life, and USA Gymnastics has paid more than $900 million in settlements.
The Penn State scandal involving coach Jerry Sandusky also shocked the nation five years before USA Gymnastics. Dozens of children suffered sexual abuse at Sandusky’s hands. Both these events have led to calls for fundamental change. It is unclear if those calls have yet had the impact they should. According to a report in USA Today, 25% of surveyed student athletes reported abuse by an adult on campus. Athletes were more than twice as likely to report such abuse.
After the USA Gymnastics scandal, Congress swiftly enacted changes. The result was the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, better known simply as Safe Sport. The law applies broadly and covers organizations nationwide. Safe Sport did not, however, create a national requirement for coach or teacher background checks.
Instead, it expanded the number of people who qualify as mandatory reporters when suspecting abuse. Organizations also had to create new policies to prevent, as much as possible, any situations where an athlete is alone with an adult. Safe Sport also created a registry of known abusers. Groups can check this registry before giving a volunteer the green light.
In the absence of a federal requirement for screening, more states have stepped in. Fewer than half of the states in the country have made such a move. Nonetheless, there has been progress. In the following states, it is now a legal requirement for all sports groups to screen volunteers and employees thoroughly:
Groups in these states should review their compliance requirements and act swiftly to better protect their athletes. Such efforts are just as vital as background screening for school employees.
The scandals involving predators such as Larry Nassar and Jerry Sandusky rocked youth sports to its core. The echoes of those tragedies continue to affect today’s conversations. Potential thousands of kids suffer at the hands of coaches and volunteers each year. Everyone has to help reverse that trend. It’s time for organizations to step up and work harder to protect their athletes.
Background checks and other policies can go a long way to help prevent abuse. Let’s focus where it should be: on the kids and the game. Check out our infographic below for more about the urgent need for background checks in youth sports and what tools you can start using today.