Escalation in child protection measures make adults 'afraid to interact with children' » Communities » 24dash.com

Adults are afraid to interact with other people's children because they fear being labelled a paedophile, a report claimed today.

The study by thinktank Civitas called for regulation and vetting to be relaxed because the "dramatic escalation of child protection measures has succeeded in poisoning the relationship between the generations".

It suggested that in the past, adults would have routinely helped children in distress or rebuked those who were misbehaving, but now think twice about the consequences.

The report entitled Licensed To Hug, by Kent University Professor of Sociology Frank Furedi, described an "atmosphere of mistrust".

It added: "There is a feeling that it is best not to become involved."

Prof Furedi said: "From Girl Guiders to football coaches, from Christmas-time Santas to parents helping out in schools, volunteers - once regarded as pillars of the community - have been transformed in the regulatory and public imagination into potential child abusers, barred from any contact with children until the database gives them the green light."

Vetting by the Criminal Records Bureau could lead to a false sense of security because it can only check for offences in the past and cannot predict future behaviour, the report said.

"It would be much better if adults could use their discretion and professional judgment - skills that are now becoming redundant," the thinktank said.

"If we could encourage greater openness and more frequent contact between the generations, we would all benefit."

A Home Office spokesman said: "There is no evidence employment checks are a barrier to either volunteering or damage trust between children and adults - in fact the number of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on volunteers has grown year-on-year.

"The UK has one of the most advanced systems in the world for carrying out checks because they provide vital safeguards. Last year CRB checks stopped 20,000 unsuitable people gaining work with vulnerable individuals, a success in anyone's book.

"There has to be a way to identify and weed out unsuitable people, but such checks do not mean an end to common-sense, instead they give employers the tools to make the best employment decisions.

"We want to make the system clearer, which is why from October next year the Independent Safeguarding Authority will introduce a constantly updated list of people who are not allowed to work with children or vulnerable adults - giving stronger than ever assurance."

Responding to Prof Furedi's report, Beverley Hughes, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, said: "We expect UK host families involved in providing accommodation for foreign students in organised school exchange visits to undergo enhanced CRB checks.

"This is in line with guidance to schools in respect of volunteers involved in activities requiring an overnight stay.

"We also recommend that host families are given basic awareness of child protection issues and the contact details of the designated senior person within the school with responsibility for safeguarding issues.

"The new independent safeguarding scheme will mean that from October 2009 those who provide care and accommodation for children under 18 for reward or in pursuance of an arrangement made by someone other than a member of the child's family will be engaged in regulated activity.

"It will be a criminal offence for a barred individual to engage in this activity and the person organising the host family placement will be required to check that the person providing the care and accommodation is ISA registered."

ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We want to be absolutely sure that people who are working with children do not have a criminal record for attacking children in the past. It's a very basic requirement.

"It is very important that children are hugged, that volunteers continue to work with children - and they do in huge numbers.

"I am a volunteer counsellor for ChildLine. I want checks. I was delighted to be checked. There is nothing wrong with it. It doesn't affect my approach to children, my feeling of empathy for children."

Ms Rantzen accepted that some interpretations of child protection legislation went too far, but insisted that the correct response was to take a more "sensible" approach rather than to change the law.

"I don't for one moment defend the sort of politically correct madness that stops grandparents videoing their grandchildren. I don't defend that," she said.

"What we need to do, now that we are alert to the fact that child abuse exists, is to be sensible about it."