The scariest part is that it happens everywhere -- all across the country, to all kinds of people. Almost every day there’s a new story about a coach who was arrested for alleged inappropriate conduct with a minor. In the sport of volleyball alone there have been countless cases in the past year. An untold number go unreported.
The sex offenders take lots of forms. There was the case of 58-year-old Ron Swafford, the junior volleyball coach in Seattle who was arrested for soliciting sex with a girl he thought was 13.
There was Michael Morales, 38, a junior coach in Florida who was arrested for sending text messages to one of his players trying to pressure her into sex. And just last month there was the story of Dewayne Thomas Barger, 37, who was arrested for child pornography after secretly videotaping his players changing and bathing in his bathroom.
In Barger’s case, earlier complaints about his conduct weren’t taken seriously. One girl and her parents were uncomfortable with Barger joining the girls in the pool workouts he arranged. Another reported inappropriate text messages. But Barger passed a background check and was still allowed to coach despite the concerns. His hidden recording device was discovered by an acquaintance who turned it over to police.
Youth coaches who abuse their authority are often difficult to recognize before something terrible happens. One thing is clear, background checks do not tell the entire story and should not be the only line of defense against sexual predators. In almost all of these cases, background checks were performed and no red flags were raised.
Most individuals in authority positions that involve working with children are subjected to some type of inquiry into their past. But if the coach has not yet been caught and therefore has no criminal record, he’ll pass a background check with flying colors.
More needs to be done and the bulk of the responsibility falls to parents. Club volleyball is a necessary part of a child's development in the sport and can help immensely the child's chances of earning a scholarship to college. Don't avoid the situation entirely, but choose your child's junior volleyball coach well and always keep an eye on your child's relationship with a coach. Inappropriate contact between underage players and adult coaches happens all the time. And though the offenders are overwhelmingly adult male coaches who abuse underage girls, it sometimes happens to boys as well. In January, 21-year-old Cassandra Elfers was arrested in Kentucky for inappropriately touching a 13-year-old boy on the volleyball team.
According to a veteran sex crimes investigator, the news that a coach has been arrested for inappropriate conduct with a minor almost always comes as a complete shock to parents, staff and players alike. Most of the offenders he arrests would be described as "great guys" by those who have worked with him.
“Every time we arrest another teacher, at least half the comments below the article are people in support of him," he said. "It's because they're good at what they do. If the guy is a jerk and he's doesn't communicate well he certainly isn't going to get close to the kids. Of course he's going to be the best coach. Of course he's going to be awesome with the kids. That's why he's there. They wouldn't get in there otherwise.”
Good social skills are only the beginning. Through a process called grooming, sexual predators slowly earn a child’s trust. They share common interests, get the child to open up and eventually achieve a level of comfort they should never have been allowed. Once this is accomplished, it becomes much easier to manipulate the teenager into an inappropriate relationship.
No matter how attentive you are as a parent, this can happen to your child. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of your child falling prey to a sex offender, but it requires being vigilant at all times.
Here is a list of things the investigator believes every parent should do to protect their children along with a his list of suggestions regarding what not to do.
The sex offenders take lots of forms. There was the case of 58-year-old Ron Swafford, the junior volleyball coach in Seattle who was arrested for soliciting sex with a girl he thought was 13.
There was Michael Morales, 38, a junior coach in Florida who was arrested for sending text messages to one of his players trying to pressure her into sex. And just last month there was the story of Dewayne Thomas Barger, 37, who was arrested for child pornography after secretly videotaping his players changing and bathing in his bathroom.
In Barger’s case, earlier complaints about his conduct weren’t taken seriously. One girl and her parents were uncomfortable with Barger joining the girls in the pool workouts he arranged. Another reported inappropriate text messages. But Barger passed a background check and was still allowed to coach despite the concerns. His hidden recording device was discovered by an acquaintance who turned it over to police.
Youth coaches who abuse their authority are often difficult to recognize before something terrible happens. One thing is clear, background checks do not tell the entire story and should not be the only line of defense against sexual predators. In almost all of these cases, background checks were performed and no red flags were raised.
Most individuals in authority positions that involve working with children are subjected to some type of inquiry into their past. But if the coach has not yet been caught and therefore has no criminal record, he’ll pass a background check with flying colors.
More needs to be done and the bulk of the responsibility falls to parents. Club volleyball is a necessary part of a child's development in the sport and can help immensely the child's chances of earning a scholarship to college. Don't avoid the situation entirely, but choose your child's junior volleyball coach well and always keep an eye on your child's relationship with a coach. Inappropriate contact between underage players and adult coaches happens all the time. And though the offenders are overwhelmingly adult male coaches who abuse underage girls, it sometimes happens to boys as well. In January, 21-year-old Cassandra Elfers was arrested in Kentucky for inappropriately touching a 13-year-old boy on the volleyball team.
According to a veteran sex crimes investigator, the news that a coach has been arrested for inappropriate conduct with a minor almost always comes as a complete shock to parents, staff and players alike. Most of the offenders he arrests would be described as "great guys" by those who have worked with him.
“Every time we arrest another teacher, at least half the comments below the article are people in support of him," he said. "It's because they're good at what they do. If the guy is a jerk and he's doesn't communicate well he certainly isn't going to get close to the kids. Of course he's going to be the best coach. Of course he's going to be awesome with the kids. That's why he's there. They wouldn't get in there otherwise.”
Good social skills are only the beginning. Through a process called grooming, sexual predators slowly earn a child’s trust. They share common interests, get the child to open up and eventually achieve a level of comfort they should never have been allowed. Once this is accomplished, it becomes much easier to manipulate the teenager into an inappropriate relationship.
No matter how attentive you are as a parent, this can happen to your child. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of your child falling prey to a sex offender, but it requires being vigilant at all times.
Here is a list of things the investigator believes every parent should do to protect their children along with a his list of suggestions regarding what not to do.
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