Safe Sport Initiative

[IPEsq]

@vxf111

I have to do a state background check to be involved in a reading program with children and it’s a totally different background check process than for the bar. Don’t quote me on this but I think the only thing that excludes you on this particular check are past convictions for child abuse/sexual abuse-- not convictions for drugs, etc. It’s nothing even CLOSE to the level of a government clearance of any sort. I gave them my full name, address, and I think maybe fingerprints (I am slightly hazy on whether I gave them prints or already had prints on file for something else). Nothing more. No interviews, etc. It wasn’t a character and fitness evaluation, I think they were just checking to see that you weren’t on Meghan’s list, essentially.

I presume the USEF would not be the one making thumbs up/down decisions on the background check. I presume they’d be having existing state background checks run that are already in place for adults working with children. I guess the state in which you live? The reading program I’m in was not making a thumbs up/down decision. They submitted the names to the background check and got a list back of approved readers. Period. No involvement by the program in making the decisions.

I get that this thread is about sexual abuse primarily and safety. But if we want to know drug offenses and felonies as well, why not more of a character and fitness evaluation. Nearly every pro has a fiduciary relationship with the clients. So, if we go into doing checks, wouldn’t we also want to identify the potential crooks? There are definitely some limitations to the checks in breadth and territorial scope. It could be onerous for some people while at the same time not being effective screening of others who travel around a lot.

[541hunter]

@neigh

And what are you folks going to do about the illegal grooms who are sleeping with and providing drugs and alcohol to the juniors and younger amateurs? If you could speak the language, you would be appalled at the comments being made to and about these young women.

I do speak the language, actually, and enjoy great relationships with many of the Spanish-speaking grooms in my Zone. Personally I haven’t seen any difference in the behavior of U.S. citizens/documented residents and those without documentation. A select few are awful and crude, most are just normal people. It’s true that there is a strong culture of machismo in many Latin countries that makes more overt harassment common (and I say that having lived in two Spanish-speaking countries and as a member of a large Argentine family), whereas many harassers in the US tend to be less obvious due to our cultural norms. Regardless, the end result is the same. It’s just that one is more visible to us.

Regardless of who’s acting the predator in your area, proper training can help people learn to identify and hopefully intervene on dangerous behavior. The data bear that out in many, many industries, and it can work in ours too.

[Halt_Near_X]

@541hunter

I personally would love to see a required data-driven training given to all professional members of USEF, as a condition of membership. It won’t stop the predators from trying, but it might help a bystander know who to call if they see someone exhibiting grooming behavior with a junior, for example, or what they might say in the event of witnessing harassment. […]

Look at gymnastics—we don’t want that to be us. Sexual harassment training, when done well and based on real scientific evidence, can make a huge difference.

If training can make a difference, why limit it to professionals? There are more amateurs than professionals around, and they have more opportunities to observe what is going on than professionals do. The training is already in place for judges, so extend it (but not the background checks) to all members.

Or all adults members. I’m not sure what the issues with requiring training for kids might be, but a next step might be for USEF to create or license age-appropriate materials and make them available for parents/guardians to choose when/how to share with their children.

[Janet]

For those that have not taken it, I would point out that the SafeSport training is NOT tailored AT ALL to the equestrian disciplines. It is MUCH MORE focused on High School team sports, where there is a formal program with stated guidelines.

[sp56]

I took the training for the USHJA Trainer Certification Program.

It was HORRIBLE! It was more of a how-to sexually assault someone than how to prevent it. It would have been much better geared towards parents.

Ironically they had some statistic like 90% of abusers can pass a background check - and USHJA required us to pay for a background check.

My eyes hurt from rolling so much.

[Pennywell_Bay]

How much is this going to increase the dues, as background checks are not free? I am not putting a monetary price on safety, just asking a question- how are the background checks going to be funded? Did I miss it?

[MHM]

@Pennywell Bay

How much is this going to increase the dues, as background checks are not free? I am not putting a monetary price on safety, just asking a question- how are the background checks going to be funded? Did I miss it?

I stated upthread that in the current system, the licensed officials pay for their own required background checks every two years. The cost right now is around $18-20 each time. I don’t know what the plan is to pay for more widespread checks.

[MIKES_MCS]

Until we have a licensing system in All Horse sports , (as in Racing , grooms, trainers, jockeys, drivers ) , we won’t be effective in policing anything … Every licensed worker on a race track is finger printed and goes through a back round check, if your a criminal you don’t get a license, pretty simple.

[MHM]

@MIKES MCS

Until we have a licensing system in All Horse sports , (as in Racing , grooms, trainers, jockeys, drivers ) , we won’t be effective in policing anything … Every licensed worker on a race track is finger printed and goes through a back round check, if your a criminal you don’t get a license, pretty simple.

Just trainers? Or every single person at the track? Hot walkers, etc.?