[KarenH]

I have a couple more tips on protecting youth:

Background checks will NOT insure that your team members will never have bad experiences. However, they will insure that you have taken some basic steps to eliminate known problems, kind of like looking under the hood before buying a car. I think that failure to do a basic check on team leaders is irresponsible, or at least naive.

Also, take it seriously if someone expresses concern that a person has a problem in this area. Comments like, "I don't think so-and-so should be involved with our team," or, "I don't leave my kids alone with him" should serve as a red flag--especially when it comes from a family member or close friend of the person. It can be difficult for victims to speak up about such things; if they speak, better listen! I'm not recommending a witch hunt or spreading unfounded gossip, but a discreet investigation of the facts would be in order.