A 20 year toll: 368 gymnasts allege sexual exploitation
Source: IndyStar-USA Today
All told, 115 adults at every level of the sport, from respected Olympic mentors to novices working with recreational gymnasts, were accused. The alleged abuse happened in every part of the U.S. — from Maine to California, Washington to Florida, and across the Midwest.
In Michigan, longtime girls gymnastics coach Phillip Paige Bishop was convicted in 2010 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for molesting a 10-year-old girl. Bishop went to prison and was required to register as a sex offender.
In Pennsylvania, coach Keith R. Callen was arrested in May and charged with sexual assault by a sports official and other counts in connection with alleged incidents involving a female teenage gymnast over a two-year period starting in 2012. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
In California, dentist and gymnastics coach David Reiakvam pleaded guilty in 2012 to molesting two girls who lived with the coach and his wife. One, an elite acrobatic gymnast, said he began raping her at age 13. The other said at sentencing, “It’s not the predator in the bushes you need to worry about. It’s those in positions of power and authority … who harm precious and vulnerable children.”
Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/12/15/20-year-toll-368-gymnasts-allege-sexual-exploitation/95198724/?hootPostID=09c66724490001017af2b4060113e147
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WAY low.
Look at the football scandal snowballing in the UK.
I am in leadership at a youth sports organization. If your kids are involved in organized activities, please inquire about the organization's policies and procedures regarding staff and volunteers before registering/enrolling. Find out what any relevant governing bodies dictate in this regard.
Responsible organizations will require comprehensive background checks for anyone who may have contact with children on at least an annual basis. They will mandate regular training for their employees and volunteers. The training should provide guidance on avoiding compromising situations and most importantly, how to detect signs of potential abuse. They will have contact policies that prohibit certain activities, like a coach giving a child a ride home without a third party present for example. There should be a reporting system in place that spells out clearly how staff and volunteers communicate concerns or suspicions responsibly. Published policies should define how reports are handled, what the investigative process is, and clarify consequences to parties involved.
I was stunned recently to learn that the organization I am involved with is the ONLY one in this region in our particular sport that does any of this beyond the background checks. The other three sports organizations that share public facilities with us do a lower level background check than we do, and only do so when the person is originally hired or volunteers. They don't repeat it annually.
