Who watches the watchers?

We posed that question several years ago, after a local Catholic priest abused his position of authority over children, and it’s sad news again this week to learn of the arrest of a former soccer coach in Sonoma Valley who, if the allegations be true, also abused his position of authority over young people.
We willing entrust our children to coaches, pastors and priests, teachers, scout leaders, den moms and others, with very few qualms. “They’re our neighbors,” we think. “We know these people. We don’t need to watch over them.”
And in the vast majority of cases, that’s true. But we’re reminded again, unfortunately, that sometimes those we trust do need oversight. Whether a priest in his 60s, a middle school wrestling coach in his 20s or a soccer coach in his 40s, a person with power over others can be tempted to misuse it.
Busy as we are, we assume that other people, higher up in whatever organization is involved, will provide any needed oversight. School athletic directors, church leaders and those in similar positions should consider that an integral part of their jobs. In other cases, it may be volunteers, already giving of their time, who may have neither the time nor facilities to provide effective oversight. The lesson is that, whatever the circumstance, the responsibility needs to be shared.
We’re pleased to learn of the steps the local soccer league has taken to strengthen its review of the volunteers it has working with children. Not that a database search of fingerprints alone would have helped in this case, if the coach had no prior arrests. Active oversight is always required, and others close to the team should feel confident in stepping forward to report something that seems amiss. Another essential element is the continuing education of the young people involved, so they can recognize an inappropriate behavior and know to whom they can safely go to report concerns.
Establishing and sustaining such policies would take a concerted effort, and we hope that the local soccer league is getting adequate support from the state organization. The Boy Scouts of America is a successful example of a large organization with a small paid staff overseeing thousands of volunteers across the country. They utilize continual training – both of adult leaders and boys – about potential abusive situations and how to handle them appropriately. More importantly, they have an inviolate rule against private one-on-one situations between a boy and an adult. When a boy has a Scoutmaster conference (required with each advancement in rank), the two meet in an open room, visible to others. On overnight trips, boys are not allowed in an adult’s room or tent, nor is an adult allowed to drive with one boy. The other inviolate rule for the Boy Scouts is that at least two adults must participate in every meeting, outing or trip. In addition to other safety benefits, this helps prevent inappropriate situations from arising and enforce the clearly defined rules, should any such situation develop.
Does that mean the Boy Scout organization never has problems with issues of abuse? No, but it means that it is part of its culture as an organization that safety of the boys is paramount to any other issue. As it would be for the soccer league or the church youth program, we’re sure. The difference, perhaps, is that it is expressly discussed, with videos for the boys to watch and required training for the adults, and it is has a prevention/enforcement mechanism incorporated into all activities.
Our hearts go out to all children and their families victimized by sexual predators, and we express our appreciation for the thousands of volunteers who give generously of their time and resources. It’s unfortunate that a few unscrupulous adults can cast such a pall. We as a community – we as involved adults – need to be observant and should express our concerns whenever common sense tells us there’s a potential problem.
In our view, that’s sad but true.