Crisis in volunteers revealed
Fears of being falsely accused of harming children is the major factor preventing Scots from volunteering, and while 69% of adults consider working with children, only 5% actually do, a report claims today.
Concerns over the culture of litigation is also a factor when it comes to working or volunteering with young people, a survey by Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) found. In the poll carried out for the commissioner, 48% of adults said concern about being falsely accused of harming young people is the number one obstacle to becoming a volunteer.
The same fear also makes them less likely to help when they see a young person in danger or distress, according to the research.
Women are almost twice as likely to have contact with children and young people, either as a volunteer or through work. Men reported being afraid of being falsely accused of being a paedophile.
The 65-page Adults' Attitudes towards contact with Children and Young People report is the first confirmation in Scotland of well-publicised concerns over the growing bureaucratic burden involved in becoming a volunteer working with young people.
These have led to claims that more and more Scots are discouraged from becoming involved in providing children with activities outside of school and that this is contributing to growing levels of obesity among young people.
Recent studies showed Scotland's obesity levels are second only to the US and that only one in 250 girls and one in 20 boys aged 11 are getting the recommended minimum one hour's exercise a day.
The government yesterday warned the epidemic of obesity could bankrupt the National Health Service.
Over the past few years, and in particular following the tragic events in Dunblane in 1996, the rules and regulations governing youth organisations have become more compli-cated. Adults who are new to volunteering are now subjected to intense scrutiny, including Disclosure Scotland checks set up in 2002, which provide the criminal history of an individual to potential employers and organisations, including the voluntary sector.
Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, hopes the report will spark a national debate.
She said: "Young people consistently tell us they want safe and fun things to do and that anti-social behaviour is a result of a shortage of opportunities for social behaviour'. The activities they want to take part in need adults to volunteer and support them, and this report shows exactly why that isn't happening."
Ms Marshall urged the Scottish Government to consider supporting a "one-stop shop" service to advise and encourage adults who want to volunteer with young people and "address rumour and misinformation about what is and isn't allowed" on organising "everything from a school disco to a gorge walk".
Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, one of the largest parent bodies, welcomed the report.
She said: "The whole industry of disclosure and checking is driving volunteers away. We need to have something that is more proportionate which looks properly at the real risk to children, not the hypothetical risk." George Thomson, chief executive of Volunteer Development Scotland, said: "We must have the conviction and courage to overcome the challenges and find ways to take up the offer of voluntary help from adults in a way that benefits everyone."
Girlguiding Scotland has a waiting list of over 4000 girls it cannot reach because it does not have enough volunteers. The Scouts and Boys' Brigade have similar problems.
The SCCYP survey of almost 1100 Scots was carried out earlier this year across the country. Following the poll, about 50 people took part in further discussions as part of focus groups.
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Posted by: homo sapiens on 9:12am Tue 16 Oct 07
The chickens of the PC brigade, and anti-male, andti-father radical feminists are coming home to roost. For the past 25 years the PC brigade of alarmists has deprived and limited our children's ability to enjoy their childhood by stirring up baseless fears, and alienating men, fathers, and adults from becoming actively involved in the development of their children, and contact with children and young people. This has resulted in a "disconnect" between the younger generations and the adults sorrounding them, and increasing level of mistrust, as each act of deviant adult behaviour was hyped to levels of unprecedented public hysteria, instead of being handled so that children's and parent's trust in other adults will not be broken. In their zeal to try and distance fathers/men from their children, radical feminist organisations and alarmists who are making a mint from spreading fear and hostility have achieved in creating an invisible barrier between adults and younger people in this society. No wonder that youth crime, drug & alcohol abuse, teen pregnancies, and youth mental illness have reached unprecedented levels.
There are sensible ways to assure safe play for children, and there are ways to safeguard against false allegations being made against adults who care and interact with children. Remove the hyperactive, self-interest of the self-appointed "good-doers" who victimise both children and adults through their mindless drive for attention, and donations. Become sensible!
The chickens of the PC brigade, and anti-male, andti-father radical feminists are coming home to roost. For the past 25 years the PC brigade of alarmists has deprived and limited our children's ability to enjoy their childhood by stirring up baseless fears, and alienating men, fathers, and adults from becoming actively involved in the development of their children, and contact with children and young people. This has resulted in a "disconnect" between the younger generations and the adults sorrounding them, and increasing level of mistrust, as each act of deviant adult behaviour was hyped to levels of unprecedented public hysteria, instead of being handled so that children's and parent's trust in other adults will not be broken. In their zeal to try and distance fathers/men from their children, radical feminist organisations and alarmists who are making a mint from spreading fear and hostility have achieved in creating an invisible barrier between adults and younger people in this society. No wonder that youth crime, drug & alcohol abuse, teen pregnancies, and youth mental illness have reached unprecedented levels.
There are sensible ways to assure safe play for children, and there are ways to safeguard against false allegations being made against adults who care and interact with children. Remove the hyperactive, self-interest of the self-appointed "good-doers" who victimise both children and adults through their mindless drive for attention, and donations. Become sensible!
Posted by: Gregory Carlin, Belfast on 10:54am Tue 16 Oct 07
I think the starting point for all of this was school employees murdering children in Cambridgeshire and British schools in Norfolk and elsewhere secretly employng individuals targeted by the FBI as dangerous paedophiles. At the moment, being a sex offender is not a bar on working in Scottish schools. That position would seem to be as laissez-faire as any developed society could be. Some of the people supporting the anti-vetting campaigns in Britain were also opposed to the criminalization of pupil-teacher sex. And that UN compliance legislation (SOA 2003) happened only fairly recently and its form was half-hearted at best.
I think the starting point for all of this was school employees murdering children in Cambridgeshire and British schools in Norfolk and elsewhere secretly employng individuals targeted by the FBI as dangerous paedophiles. At the moment, being a sex offender is not a bar on working in Scottish schools. That position would seem to be as laissez-faire as any developed society could be. Some of the people supporting the anti-vetting campaigns in Britain were also opposed to the criminalization of pupil-teacher sex. And that UN compliance legislation (SOA 2003) happened only fairly recently and its form was half-hearted at best.
Posted by: TheWiseOne, Glasgow on 12:15pm Tue 16 Oct 07
Many years ago it was quite common to have fathers running the primary school footie teams. The PC brigade have brought this demise on and anyone with a brain in their head wouldn't go near such activities today, ensuring their reputations are not falsely tarnished by some pupil or parent with a grudge.
Many years ago it was quite common to have fathers running the primary school footie teams. The PC brigade have brought this demise on and anyone with a brain in their head wouldn't go near such activities today, ensuring their reputations are not falsely tarnished by some pupil or parent with a grudge.
Posted by: cadiz on 5:46pm Tue 16 Oct 07
[quote][bold]TheWiseOne[/bold] wrote:
Many years ago it was quite common to have fathers running the primary school footie teams. The PC brigade have brought this demise on and anyone with a brain in their head wouldn't go near such activities today, ensuring their reputations are not falsely tarnished by some pupil or parent with a grudge.[/quote] In England and Wales, malicious allegations are statistically less than one per thousand LIST 99 referrals. That would relate to LEA, Police & DfES data. In 2005 there were 2,554 L99 cases concluded. That would reflect more than a doubling since 2003. If you go to the FOI page on the DfES web-site you will see that some LEAs have been reduced to using FOI legislation to find out how many sex offenders are working in their schools.
TheWiseOne wrote:
Many years ago it was quite common to have fathers running the primary school footie teams. The PC brigade have brought this demise on and anyone with a brain in their head wouldn't go near such activities today, ensuring their reputations are not falsely tarnished by some pupil or parent with a grudge.
In England and Wales, malicious allegations are statistically less than one per thousand LIST 99 referrals. That would relate to LEA, Police & DfES data. In 2005 there were 2,554 L99 cases concluded. That would reflect more than a doubling since 2003. If you go to the FOI page on the DfES web-site you will see that some LEAs have been reduced to using FOI legislation to find out how many sex offenders are working in their schools.
Posted by: Not chance, Scotland on 7:15pm Tue 16 Oct 07
Who wants to be a volunteer when you have to go through a third degree to help kids?
No thanks!
Who wants to be a volunteer when you have to go through a third degree to help kids?
No thanks!
Posted by: Cadiz on 10:19am Wed 17 Oct 07
[quote][bold]Not chance[/bold] wrote:
Who wants to be a volunteer when you have to go through a third degree to help kids? No thanks! [/quote] I think third degree is a bit of an exaggeration. It is simply not a workable solution to hire from the general male population without realistic precautions. The UK component of the FBI landslide database ( 7,200) constituted less than one percent of the males in Great Britain who were connected to internet child pornography.
I would suggest that data on internet access attempts to child pornography web-sites (BT etc.) and historic evidence relating to pre-SOA 2003 purchasing trends would support the view that the UK has many of the problems common to Japan.
Not chance wrote:
Who wants to be a volunteer when you have to go through a third degree to help kids? No thanks!
I think third degree is a bit of an exaggeration. It is simply not a workable solution to hire from the general male population without realistic precautions. The UK component of the FBI landslide database ( 7,200) constituted less than one percent of the males in Great Britain who were connected to internet child pornography.
I would suggest that data on internet access attempts to child pornography web-sites (BT etc.) and historic evidence relating to pre-SOA 2003 purchasing trends would support the view that the UK has many of the problems common to Japan.
Posted by: Anon., Somewhere on 12:30pm Wed 17 Oct 07
Cadiz:
I use an anonymous "pen name" as I work in the voluntary sector and it is thus wiser for me to do so in order for me to freely express what I think. The whole disclosure "industry" (and Judith Gillespie is right to describe it as such - an [italic]industry[/italic] ) is a complete panacea, a complete nightmare of bureaucracy, and a wholly unjustified intrusion into your own private life.
Why is it a panacea? Because it is known that well up the 90s (over 95%) of child abuse occurs within the family or is committed by a close friend or family confidant. These figures are not disputed, even by the establishment that pushed forward the whole disclosure nonsense in the first place. So, no amount of police checks are going to stop that. Also, a check merely says that at the time of entry into the system, an offender/potential offender at best has not committed, or has not been caught for any offences. Given that child abusers can be at large for decades before their crimes come to light, a check at the point of entry into the system is probably about as a bicycle lock - designed to keep the honest man out - but in this case it is precisely the honest people we want to get IN! Also, every single social worker, teacher, minister/priest who is convicted of child abuse, as far as I am concerned, is another nail in the coffin for the case for disclosure checks. Such convictions merely prove that disclosure can do NOTHING to prevent this.
Why is it a complete bureaucratic nightmare? As I say, I work in the voluntary sector, and as a result have been through enhanced disclosure scotland checks. In my spare time, I do some work co-ordinating a youth club. I have to do another, separate disclosure check for that. I also have a degree in languages and have considered going into interpreting, particularly in a police and court setting. If I choose to go down that route, I will have to go through yet ANOTHER disclosure check. Is it any wonder that people hold the law in such utter contempt?
Finally, it is, in my opinion unacceptable from a legal point of view. Why? Because it turns around the assumtion of innocence to the assumption of guilt. This is one of the founding principles of a democratic society. I know someone who used to work in the Boy's Brigade, and who finally gave it up, as he had just had enough of the invasiveness of the whole thing, and the fact that he felt that his whole motives for wanting to work with young lads was, by implication, being called into question. 40 years of outstanding service down the plug-hole. I hope the powers that be are proud of themselves. And they wonder where all the volunteers have gone!!
Cadiz:
I use an anonymous "pen name" as I work in the voluntary sector and it is thus wiser for me to do so in order for me to freely express what I think. The whole disclosure "industry" (and Judith Gillespie is right to describe it as such - an
industry ) is a complete panacea, a complete nightmare of bureaucracy, and a wholly unjustified intrusion into your own private life.
Why is it a panacea? Because it is known that well up the 90s (over 95%) of child abuse occurs within the family or is committed by a close friend or family confidant. These figures are not disputed, even by the establishment that pushed forward the whole disclosure nonsense in the first place. So, no amount of police checks are going to stop that. Also, a check merely says that at the time of entry into the system, an offender/potential offender at best has not committed, or has not been caught for any offences. Given that child abusers can be at large for decades before their crimes come to light, a check at the point of entry into the system is probably about as a bicycle lock - designed to keep the honest man out - but in this case it is precisely the honest people we want to get IN! Also, every single social worker, teacher, minister/priest who is convicted of child abuse, as far as I am concerned, is another nail in the coffin for the case for disclosure checks. Such convictions merely prove that disclosure can do NOTHING to prevent this.
Why is it a complete bureaucratic nightmare? As I say, I work in the voluntary sector, and as a result have been through enhanced disclosure scotland checks. In my spare time, I do some work co-ordinating a youth club. I have to do another, separate disclosure check for that. I also have a degree in languages and have considered going into interpreting, particularly in a police and court setting. If I choose to go down that route, I will have to go through yet ANOTHER disclosure check. Is it any wonder that people hold the law in such utter contempt?
Finally, it is, in my opinion unacceptable from a legal point of view. Why? Because it turns around the assumtion of innocence to the assumption of guilt. This is one of the founding principles of a democratic society. I know someone who used to work in the Boy's Brigade, and who finally gave it up, as he had just had enough of the invasiveness of the whole thing, and the fact that he felt that his whole motives for wanting to work with young lads was, by implication, being called into question. 40 years of outstanding service down the plug-hole. I hope the powers that be are proud of themselves. And they wonder where all the volunteers have gone!!
Posted by: Anon., Somewhere on 12:40pm Wed 17 Oct 07
Correction, meant to say:
[italic]a check at the point of entry into the system is probably about [bold]as effective as[/bold] a bicycle lock - designed to keep the honest man out[/italic]
Correction, meant to say:
a check at the point of entry into the system is probably about as effective as a bicycle lock - designed to keep the honest man out Posted by: cadiz, 849-663 on 4:11pm Sun 21 Oct 07
The UK potentially has the highest rate of sexual offending by teachers in the developed world.
The British govt. obfuscate the statistics, the policy as revealed by Lord Adonis ( to Lord Laird) is simply not to keep any.
The United Kingdom is where it is today because a zero-vetting system (recorded) has recently been abandoned.
OFSTED also stumbled upon what the FBI were able to discover much earlier. The FBI, contemplated the UK did not have a vetting system because British teachers were lighting up the boards.
They eventually checked, and guess what? No vetting system related to the suspects they identified.
Some foreign police agencies are reluctant to supply the UK with information re: British sex convictions (overseas) because it is known that sex offenders are not generally barred from working in Scottish or British schools.
Paedophile groups were certainly known to the DfES for years and were simply ignored until the FBI requested action.
That action was at least partly required because *American* children were being abused or sexually preyed upon by British teachers.
The only reliable indicators with any obvious integrity are the FBI & US electronic data, & intelligence from child prostitution & exploitation issues via non-British police agencies.
All of that 'overseas' analysis it points to what may be the largest child abuse scandal in Britain since mass evacuation in WWII
The UK potentially has the highest rate of sexual offending by teachers in the developed world.
The British govt. obfuscate the statistics, the policy as revealed by Lord Adonis ( to Lord Laird) is simply not to keep any.
The United Kingdom is where it is today because a zero-vetting system (recorded) has recently been abandoned.
OFSTED also stumbled upon what the FBI were able to discover much earlier. The FBI, contemplated the UK did not have a vetting system because British teachers were lighting up the boards.
They eventually checked, and guess what? No vetting system related to the suspects they identified.
Some foreign police agencies are reluctant to supply the UK with information re: British sex convictions (overseas) because it is known that sex offenders are not generally barred from working in Scottish or British schools.
Paedophile groups were certainly known to the DfES for years and were simply ignored until the FBI requested action.
That action was at least partly required because *American* children were being abused or sexually preyed upon by British teachers.
The only reliable indicators with any obvious integrity are the FBI & US electronic data, & intelligence from child prostitution & exploitation issues via non-British police agencies.
All of that 'overseas' analysis it points to what may be the largest child abuse scandal in Britain since mass evacuation in WWII
Posted by: cadiz on 3:41am Fri 2 Nov 07
[quote]Why is it a panacea? Because it is known that well up the 90s (over 95%) of child abuse occurs within the family or is committed by a close friend or family confidant. These figures are not disputed, even by the establishment that pushed forward the whole disclosure nonsense in the first place.[/quote]
The UK does not keep statistics on sex offending re: trusted professionals such as teachers. Comparing one half measured constituency ( as per your example) with another (teachers) which is a taboo area of research, is a bit impractical.
It simply does not make sense to use half a statistical comparison with an issue without the other part. That is not a comparison, that is just propaganda. The bedrock of the British 'pervert teacher' scandal is the secrecy of the entire thing.
Why is it a panacea? Because it is known that well up the 90s (over 95%) of child abuse occurs within the family or is committed by a close friend or family confidant. These figures are not disputed, even by the establishment that pushed forward the whole disclosure nonsense in the first place.
The UK does not keep statistics on sex offending re: trusted professionals such as teachers. Comparing one half measured constituency ( as per your example) with another (teachers) which is a taboo area of research, is a bit impractical.
It simply does not make sense to use half a statistical comparison with an issue without the other part. That is not a comparison, that is just propaganda. The bedrock of the British 'pervert teacher' scandal is the secrecy of the entire thing.
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