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Prevention of Crimes Against Children Background Checks There is expanded awareness today of the potential for child abuse in institutions, such as schools or day care facilities, and organizations; such as scouting and sports clubs. As a result, states generally require criminal history background checks for employees and license applicants for child care facilities, schools, and other institutions. Many of these laws allow only for a check of the convictions in a person's record, but others also include a check for prior arrests, and of the state's sex offender registry - if there is one. While children's organizations such as sports, scouting, or other programs are not generally legally required to conduct background checks on volunteers; they are often permitted and encouraged to take these precautions. School Safety Laws With the increasing concern about violence in our nation's schools, states are trying various legislative approaches to make schools safer. Many have established "school safety zones," which may involve prohibiting dangerous offenders from residing within a certain distance of a school, increasing the penalty for crimes committed in a school or on school grounds, and prohibiting possession of weapons in school zones. States have also begun to require school personnel to report violent crimes on school grounds. In addition, states have begun to address the problem of teacher safety. Several states have created special crimes for assault of teachers. Some states require that school personnel be notified when a juvenile attending that school is arrested or adjudicated for a violent crime. In Kentucky, a teacher must be notified before a student with a history of physical abuse of school personnel, or carrying a concealed weapon to school, is placed in the classroom. Several states have also enacted laws to ensure that teachers who are assaulted on the job have paid leave of absence or other compensation. Community Notification/Sex Offender Registration Nearly every state has a law which allows citizens to be informed about dangerous child sex offenders who have been released from custody. These laws, called "community notification laws," vary greatly in terms of the means by which notice is given. In some states, "community notice" involves notifying various persons of the sex offender's release into the community. Depending on the level of danger the convicted offender is deemed to present, notice may be given to all those living in a neighborhood, or notice may be limited to schools, children's organizations, and other specified groups or institutions. In some states, "community notification" merely entails allowing public access to the list of registered sex offenders kept at the sheriff's office or police station. Some states have even more restrictive access to information, requiring members of the public to provide detailed identity information about the specific individuals they have questions about, such as the name, address, social security number, or other information. Increasingly, states put information about sex offenders on the Internet. Missing Children States have also adopted laws relating to missing children. States often require a child's birth certificate or school records to be flagged when the child is reported missing. Then, if the child's records are requested by someone - for instance, if someone requests the records to register the child in another school - the officials are put on notice that the child has been reported missing. The official can then follow the state's procedure for investigation of the request. Another trend in the law is to require police to file an immediate report of a missing child into a statewide computer system, rather than permitting police to wait for a period of time to ensure that the child is indeed missing. Conclusion Child protection laws are continuing to change. With new crimes against children being defined, increased protection for child victims put into place, and new measures enacted to prevent crimes against children, states are attempting to find the most effective ways to protect society's youngest members. For information regarding the laws in your area, contact your local prosecutor, state Attorney General, or local law library |
Stay Safe In the Stay Safe section of our website, you can find a number of tips and ideas to do just that. Stay safe! We believe at the Lincoln Police Department that education is a key factor in crime prevention. In this section you can find ways to keep yourself, your children, you homes, and your businesses safe. You can also take a look at crime statistics, recent activity, and crimes that have taken place in your neighborhood. Just go to the Special Services tab on the left and you can take advantage of the tools we've provided on our site. |
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