"You dirty young nan"

We are familiar with the idea of lecherous old men in dirty macs lusting after younger women, and even over children. The safeguarding legislation, which involves a check by the CRB on previous paedophile or other deviant sexual practices, is designed to protect the young from these people.

We learn now, however, that check s are being made on teenagers, even if they are merely helping younger children at school or with sporting events. Each year about 125,000 teenagers are now being CRB checked, even those who live with parents who are childminders. The number investigated is rising year by year.

In some ways I approve. At least the (useless?) law is applying equally to all, regardless of age.

The whole thing is actually tying us all up, treating us as potential criminals and discouraging us from volunteering. It is wasteful, likely to have errors and clearly fails from time to time. It is true that it is dangerous when an unhealthy contact takes place indoors and unseen, but surely as children have been told not to accept lifts or sweets from strangers, etc., the better approach would be to teach them not to go out of sight with strangers?

As it is, we have a hugely expensive bureaucratic and insensitive process. Would it not be more sensible to put the onus on the owner of the building - church, club, house, to be responsible, with a stiff penalty for failure to supervise? At least let the CRB issue a time-limited certificate, to be used on change of job or across several jobs, rather than requiring a new check for every change or addition.