Youth protection policy question

As it is time for us to renew our youth protection background checks, this question came up at our board meeting. At a recent YE rally, a parent asked if it was safe for her child to be with a pilot alone. Of course she was told about the protection policy. So we were wondering, should we have a sign made up that states something to the effect, "Your child is safe to be with our pilots. All pilots have had a thorough background check. " ? Do any of you have something like this ? Have any of you been asked this by a parent ? Thoughts ? Suggestions ?

We just tell the parents in our group of kids we work with, we don't think a sign is needed.

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Originally Posted by Dave_T

So we were wondering, should we have a sign made up that states something to the effect, "Your child is safe to be with our pilots. All pilots have had a thorough background check. "

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Don't do this. You will place yourself in great legal peril and jeopardy if something happens. Ask EAA for guidance with respect to assuring parents that children are safe and protected.

If I was heading the event, I would make sure that I knew the pilot, maybe he is someone local or someone who had flown your event before. I would most want to know how safe a pilot he is, but the other could be considered also. And the flight, if there are 3 seats might allow the Mom to fly with them. I would let her meet the pilot and see if she and the kid feel good and want to go, if not skip it, they are not worth the potential trouble. . I would not make her any guarantee, you never know, all you can do it your best. Some parents forget that they are getting something special for free, and if they don't value that, don't go.

A few parents are just impossible: our school has an outdoor ed program where the class camps somewhere fun for the week, very popular. I was a math tutor for a 12 yr old boy from a difficult home situation,. His Mom was afraid of the water, she could not swim, I even offered to go with the kid, and I offered to pay for swim lessons, but she would not hear of it, and the child was in tears while every other kid in the class had a great trip. 20 years ago and still makes me sick, but cultural ignorance is a hard nut to crack.

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Originally Posted by Dave_T

At a recent YE rally, a parent asked if it was safe for her child to be with a pilot alone.

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"Why, does your kid have rabies or something?"

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Originally Posted by dougbush

"Why, does your kid have rabies or something?"

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Pure gold.

No, don't talk like that to kids or parents. Doug, the purpose of Y E flights is to expose kids to gen aviation, and also make possibly future pilots of them or at least friends for gen av of the kids and their parents. A smart ass remark insulting the parent is way off base.

Oh come on, Bill, I thought of a similar snappy retort when I read the question. I seriously don't believe that anyone would ever actually say that to a parent. I think we know that the parent is concerned enough just about letting their kid fly, much less with someone they don't know. If they really thought about many of the planes being "experimental" then they would probably turn around with child in tow.

We know all of that, but if we can't laugh among ourselves, then things have gone much further wrong than I imagined.

Agreed, Mr Mayer.

Chris, I love humor and love to laugh, but I dont find making fun of a Mother and her child to be funny or in good taste. In a sea of grey haired old white men there are probably some soft spots if kids wanted to go after them. I could have Katy ask how you did in the Airventure 5K? What, you don't have a time for that, maybe too old and fat? Or did "rabies or something" prevent you from taking part? Or why does your plane need an engine on both ends just to get off the ground?

I know that there are people in EAA or at Airventure who don't like kids and who won't help with Young Eagles. I don't think much of them or their humor. And I have found that often those who like to laugh at others don't have much laughter when they are the butt of jokes.

I have no problem answering any of those questions, and I have had them all asked of me.
-- I will admit to not being able to keep up with my teenage sons in a sprint anymore. Several decades of jumping on and off of tanks and running in combat boots tore up my knees, but I can still pass the new Army Combat PT Test (and make weight). 5K? I can do it, but "fun" and "run" have always been mutually exclusive terms for me. (Why do armor officers wear strap boots? As visible statement that we don't run anywhere.)
-- I have my rabies vaccination...mandatory and smart for my last deployment to Western Africa. (That is a BIG needle!)
-- Trying to get off the ground on just one engine was highly discouraged by both the USAF and the FAA (that one is actually a fairly common question)

And you didn't ask about any of the truly STUPID things I have done in the air and on the ground (some with scars) and which I have no problem laughing at myself about.

150 YE flown in the O-2 so far. Falling behind this year due to maintenance issues with the Sky Pig.

You miss the point I was trying to make. No one in the Y E program should be trying to denigrate either a parent , a child, or a volunteer, with hostile questions. It should not be a conflict, it ain't Alabama vs Auburn, its supposed to be a welcoming and friendly program, not one where you can fend off attacks by smart ass and negative people. That's not what we should be showing parents or kids. Thanks for flying so many.

No one missed the point. Someone made a joke. I don't know of anyone who would actually say that to a concerned parent. The only possible issue I see is a possible slight humor impairment. You might want to have that funny bone checked out during your next physical, Bill. :)

I think somewhere along the line we’ve reached a point in society that everybody looks at others with suspicion. I encounter this with my fins floats and fun program all the time. Every summer I take kids from both military families and disadvantaged families up North for a month of Fishing, Amphib Sea Plane Flying and General Minnesota Summer Staples of fun- Boating, Surfing, Wakeboarding and more. We work on life skills, flying skills, social skills and have a great time doing it. We encounter questions from parents all the time like “why do you want to help us” “what’s in it for you” are any “sex offenders on your staff” “Do you do background checks” and on and on. My girlfriend and I strongly believe in helping those that need it, doing whatever we can to change peoples lives for the better and having an extremely strong impact on the lives of kids. We live by the Golden Rule and Being our Brothers Keeper. I was raised to do whatever I can to help those in need. It’s hard to explain that philosophy to a parent who assumes the worst right off the bat. I wish we could back the clock up to a time when people helped people and didn’t have to worry about anything else. It’s a hard World to navigate today and I find working together with others who share the same outlook as myself makes it easier.

Jeez, the sort of person who is concerned that their child would be molested by a pilot who is actively piloting an aircraft is so whacko that they wouldn't be there in the first place.

Indeed, the safest thing to do is turn the parent and, yes, the child away as that parent is shopping for someone to sue.

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Originally Posted by Frank Giger

Jeez, the sort of person who is concerned that their child would be molested by a pilot who is actively piloting an aircraft is so whacko that they wouldn't be there in the first place.

Indeed, the safest thing to do is turn the parent and, yes, the child away as that parent is shopping for someone to sue.

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Although I agree that the question seems ridiculous enough for us to joke about it, it is not itself a joke.

Well meaning parents have been bombarded with stories of teachers, clergy, politicians, and so on engaging in predatory sexual behavior with the young and impressionable. This happens so often in our insatiable news cycle that people forget that what is in the news is the unusual, the rare -- indeed -- the exceptional. They are confronted with the exceptional so often that they begin to believe it is the common. So...they have a reasonable if not entirely rational concern for their children, especially around those they do not know and in situations that already make them feel a bit nervous. (Forgetting or unknowing that molesters are most likely to be people they know and have decided to trust.) Then, we have organizations that overreact, mostly in the effort to protect themselves, rather than promote the image and reputation of those working on their behalf. There are also "influencers" who suggest that any adult who actually wants to work with children must have some sort of nefarious motives.

So, to us, the concern seems irrational. In fact, it is, by definition, irrational. However, the people who are concerned and asking the questions are not themselves irrational. They are just the outcome of a society that discourages rational inquiry. (And I think that is true regardless of political affiliation!)

I didn't like it when EAA first started this background check. It sure as heck didn't feel right to have to prove you are not a criminal, when we are using our time and some costs to fly dozens, even hundreds of kids. But these are the times we are in, EAA didn't create the problems, they are just trying to keep it out of our organization.
In our small town of about 8000 mostly upscale people, we have had a publicly accused priest who didn't deny it and left town in a hurry. We had a trusted treasurer, not abuse kids, but embezzle from the school art section. We had a child shrink who turned out to not even be licensed and left town in a hurry. He was especially friendly to kids, I never felt right about him. And a school official with a hidden legal judgement against them, noting to do with kids, but not clean either, We had a coach who made it a practice to con money from parents, myself included.

When I was a Scout leader, I made sure to meet at school when I didn't have another parent around since there were teachers and students there after school,

Yes, it would not be normal to have Young Eagles kids alone with in adult at some other airport, but an adult pedophile could likely manage it. How about at some summer aviation event away from public scrutiny? Joe Paterno and Penn St had a good reputation for decades, until someone looked at an assistant.

I don't like it but am willing to put up with it, and the Young Eagle program has been a great success.

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Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood

Yes, it would not be normal to have Young Eagles kids alone with in adult at some other airport, but an adult pedophile could likely manage it.

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The concern, I think, is less about problems during the YE ride, but the concern that pedophiles might use the ride as an excuse to meet the child outside the bounds of the program. Grooming behavior, it's called.

I'm personally just tired of handing out personal information for random companies to do what they want with it. I got fired as president of the Airport Advisory Board member at my home field when they instituted a requirement for a criminal background check. The unpaid advisory job didn't give me access to any facilities, materials, or records, but they sent me a release form for a state cop investigation. I said "The heck with you" (or words to that effect) and got canned.

The mayor, after that, always looked at me a bit leerily. About a year after that, the recurring investigation for my top secret clearance came due at work, and the government investigators came calling to my neighbors and co-workers. Sent one to talk to the mayor. THAT probably got him wondering.....

Ron "Question Authority (and the authorities will question you)" Wanttaja