Britain Checking Kiddie Lit Authors for Pedophilia
If your kids’ favorite author was going to be speaking at their school, would you want them to undergo background checks to make sure they’re not a pedophile?
Authors across Britain have gotten their knickers in a twist thanks to a new ruling that requires they all register with a national database and submit to background checks before they can make the rounds to peddle their books and read to the kids.
According to the AP, there’s a $104 fee involved - which will fall on the authors. But that’s not why dozens of authors have opted out of visiting schools.
As far as they’re concerned, folks like Anne Fine, a former children’s laureate and author of the children’s book turned into a Hollywood film starring Robin Williams a few years back (as in, a woman who has enough money to cover the fee), think they’re so far above reproach that they shouldn’t have to prove themselves safe to interact with kids.
Said author Anthony Horowitz, “After 30 years writing books, visiting schools, hospitals, prisons, spreading an enthusiasm for culture and literacy, I find this incredibly insulting.”
Wow. Talk about your God complex.
I’d be willing to agree that the authors shouldn’t have to pay for this themselves. I’m even willing to say we’re a little over-the-top with our constant fears that EVERYONE out there is a pedophile. But this new law, set to go into effect in October, comes on the heels of the murders of two children by a sexual deviant who was visiting their schools.
Michael Morpurgo, another former children’s laureate, says the government should be warning kids not to get into stranger’s cars instead of going after authors, but with a precedent for danger INSIDE the school building, it sounds like it’s time to go beyond warnings about strangers in unmarked vans offering candy.
And the funny thing about pedophilia is you never know WHO it’s going to be next. Take a recent revelation that the greatest portion of child porn is being made by the children’s parents. Or the allegations against well-respected child psychologist Dr. William Ayres, who is currently on trial for molestation of six of his patients.
So how about the authors get off their high horse here and do a little something for their fans? You know, the kids who BUY their books?
Or is there something they have to hide?
Image: World Mag
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Tags: authors, books, child safety, children's books, education, Jeanne Sager, pedophile, reading, schools, sex abuse, stranger danger
19 Comments
Shana commented on Jul 17 09 at 4:04 pmYour child is more likely to be abused by an immediate family member than an author or someone coming to speak at your child’s school. Does that mean that all parents and relatives be required to have a background check done before the kid is born or comes home? I totally agree that children need to learn that they should not talk to strangers and know when to tell someone that something is going on. Making people get background checks to speak to children is ridiculous. This fear of the world outside thing is getting out of control on so many levels.
TrinaMb commented on Jul 17 09 at 4:15 pmThis panders to a society controlled by fear. Teach your children to respect their bodies, and how to set boundries for themselves. Background checks for authors is ludicrous.
John commented on Jul 17 09 at 4:56 pmWow, read through your post. I hate to say it, but you come off like a jerk. Accusing people who think it is silly to have a background check of having a “god complex” and “something to hide”. Don’t you think you could make your point without sounding so hysterical? Maybe not, because it is a fairly hysterical point…
jeannesager commented on Jul 17 09 at 5:02 pmJohn, I may be a bit of a jerk, but remember: these people are making MONEY off all of these visits to schools. And they’re not willing to jump through a few hoops to do so?
I agree we go out of our way to make out everyone to be a pedophile, but when we send our kids to school, we do so with an expectation that there is an extra layer of protection similar to that which we’d provide to our kids. I won’t let my daughter hang out with a random adult I don’t know well, and I’d hope a school wouldn’t either.
My husband is a high school soccer ref, and he had no problem undergoing these kind of background checks. And he spends pretty much zero time WITH a child, and none of it in any place but out on a field in the clear eye of plenty of people. So why shouldn’t people entering a school building for a significant amount of time, where they could, in fact, be alone with a child, be subjected to the same thing?
Shana commented on Jul 17 09 at 5:16 pmJeanne, what about requiring all parents that are going to volunteer at the school to get background checks? Would you think that is alright? It’s just jumping through a few hoops. And why would someone that is going to talk at a school end up alone with your child? There is a big difference between getting a background check for a teacher who is most definitely going to end up spending some alone time with kids or teenagers. I remember a high school football coach getting into some statutory rape issues because twenty six year old him was having an affair with a sixteen year old student. Background check did not prevent that from happening. And these writers are not always paid to speak at schools, because a majority of schools could not afford that in the first place.
jeannesager commented on Jul 17 09 at 5:24 pmShana, actually, yes, I agree that volunteers should get background checks. It isn’t just for pedophilia - do you want a convicted rapist of adults around your daughters?
And what is interesting about this proposal is it would put them on a registry so no matter how many schools they go into (because they’re making the rounds here - this isn’t just one school), one background check would suffice.
I agree background checks won’t prevent everything from happening; they only catch people who have ALREADY done something wrong. But again, that’s why I wonder if people haven’t done anything wrong why they aren’t willing to submit to a background check.
As for why they’d end up alone with your kid - you’d be surprised. I work as a reporter and just recently covered an author speaking at a local school. As the audience cleared out, he ended up with a queue of kids - who were alone with him in a corner of the auditorium as it was the end of the school day and the administrators were off duty. He was a perfect gentleman, but it isn’t unheard of that they would end up alone with a child.
Shana commented on Jul 17 09 at 5:53 pmMy big problem with this is that it is the same excuse used to okay phone taps on everyday citizens and regualar bag checks in the subway. I personally have experienced having my bag checked twice because “oh my god I might be a terroist.” Why should someone wanting a right to privacy suddenly be construed as “what do you have to hide?” I live half a mile from a park, for all I know every time I go there, there are ten or more convicted rapists standing around. All in all, someone comes to speak at the school, they should be supervised with students and kids need to learn how to protect themselves from dangers inside and outside the home. Yes be cautious, but also stop looking at everyone as being the next pedophile that is going to be eyeing your kid.
jeannesager commented on Jul 17 09 at 6:24 pmI totally agree with you there Shana! I just put schools on a different level from parks. When we’re in a park or at the supermarket, et. al, that’s up to a parent to be wise to what’s going on. But I look at a school as a place where parents send their kids and don’t have oversight . . . so the security needs to be a little more beefed up than your average public place. Schools aren’t “public places,” you know??
But otherwise, I agree - people are always freaking about everyone being a pedophile, and I think there are much greater dangers out there!
Marj commented on Jul 17 09 at 8:07 pmWell, I guess schools don’t need volunteers or special speakers. If they are going to treat them like criminals, they will stop coming. But our schools are so great they don’t need any help anyway.
Ali commented on Jul 17 09 at 9:21 pmWhy have background checks on teachers and school workers then? Everyone in the school to interact with the kids should be screened.
Ali commented on Jul 17 09 at 9:23 pmShana, I did volunteer at my child’s school and had to have a background check. I thought all schools did that.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 17 09 at 11:00 pmCount me in as thinking this is goes overboard as well. For that matter, every parent in the school should have a background check since when they come and pick up their kid and they are around other kids.
Liane commented on Jul 18 09 at 1:11 pmA background check is pretty routine at any school. I got one before doing student teaching, and anyone who is on payroll has to as well. It’s just one extra sheet of paperwork, not anything to get that excited about.
PlumbLucky commented on Jul 18 09 at 4:48 pmThe tradesmen my company employs must have a background check performed on them before they step foot in a school to do any work (repairs, renovations, additions…). They have to pay for this themselves. They don’t have any direct contact with children (heck, the guys who work in the high schools spend most of their time in the hallways looking at the ceilings for fear some 16 yo is going to claim they made a pass at them). Parent volunteers have to. Teachers have to. Why would an author be different? I have to agree with the park distinction that has been made in these comments. I have to watch my child in the park. I shouldn’t have to watch my child at school.
Twyla commented on Jul 19 09 at 3:53 amI had to do a background check before I was allowed to volunteer at my child’s school. I was happy to do it because I knew that it could potentially block my daughter’s interaction with a criminal.
I bet all of you who say this is stupid would be quick to change your mind if something happened to your kids. Especially if after the fact you found out the creep had a criminal record. No, it won’t catch everything but it may filter out someone that could possibly violate a child.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 19 09 at 10:14 amTwyla, it this thread would not be complete without a healthy dose of alarmist bullshit. Thanks for obliging.
Shana commented on Jul 19 09 at 2:54 pmTwyla, I have personally known people that have been victims of horrible crimes. One of my classmates was “accidentally” shot by her boyfriend just after we finished high school. The sixth grade math teacher for one of the other sections (long explanation) molested a former student of his for five years. The interesting thing is that just about every kid in my grade level at the time suspected something was weird about their going camping and this kid visiting a lot. I think he was not caught until I was in seventh or eighth grade. My husband was attacked by a group of teenagers with boxcutters in the neighborhood we currently live in. Someone once walked up to him unprovoked and punched him on the sidewalk just ten years ago. Both of us are complete realist though. You cannot just go around suspecting everyone is going to do something. People are not guilty until proven innocent. I can understand wanting to do background checks on the guys that are going to be working on the school or security (one student my freshman year ran off with a secuirty guard), teachers and people that are going to be there on a regular basis. But expecting anyone and everyone that is going to be in the building to do a background check is ridiculous and I also think an invasion of privacy. As someone said before, should every parent have to get a background check if they are going to be picking up their own kids at school? Hell they may be a criminal. This behavior would be understandable is there was some crazy crimewave going on, but crime has gone done over the years. Despite the reduction in crime there are more and more people out there that want to protect chlildren when in fact they are just stifling everyone. Maybe some of you just need to get off the CNN or whatever 24 hour news service you’re watching.
jeannesager commented on Jul 19 09 at 5:18 pmOn one hand, I tend to agree with those of you who say this is overkill. We are too afraid that EVERYONE is a pedophile.
But here’s the thing - these authors aren’t just picking up their kid from school and leaving. They’re making the rounds of schools, making frequent visits, spending extensive amounts of time with children and they’re in special positions of power (as celebrities) which make children trust them much more so than they would say a random handy man.
I just find it bizarre that they’d expect the fix-it man to have his background check but that they put themselves above us common folk because they’re authors.
I also speak as a volunteer on a board that oversees the local 4-H and the liability that’s involved in NOT having all people interacting with the kids in any significant basis (as in, more than a parent at pick-up and drop-off . . . which is when a teacher who has a background check or a parent is present anyway) have some sort of background check. Allowing authors off just because they’re authors would not fly in a court of law.
Hasdon commented on Aug 14 09 at 1:50 pmLegally, students must be under the school’s supervision at all times. Ergo, an writer around students is also with a teacher. So, no access to unsupervised kids means no pedophilia.
More importantly, there are easier ways to get access to kids than writing a manuscript, proofreading it, sending it to a publisher, going through the editing process, waiting a year for it to hit the shelves, contacting schools to see if they want to host an author visit, preparing to entertain and educate students for an hour, and then, (after how many years?) finally getting access to students sitting with their classmates in desks or in the school auditorium.
If a writer gets access to unsupervised students during school hours, the school needs to revisit their policies.
