Verifying the staff of educational institutions as a tool to protect children against violence

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of the mechanism for verifying personnel of educational institutions introduced by the amendment to the Law of May 13, 2016 on Counteracting the Threat of Sexual Offenses and Protecting Minors. The amendment expanded the previous scope of subjects and objects of verification. The verification of personnel of educational institutions in the Sex Offender Registry and the National Criminal Register is intended to serve the purpose of protecting children from abuse, thus fulfilling the constitutional obligation imposed on state bodies under Article 72(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. The regulations introduced will tighten the verification system and reduce the risk of violence on the part of school personnel, but on the other hand they constitute additional administrative for principals of educational institutions. In practice, they may also involve the abandonment of inviting outsiders - various types of speakers - to schools and kindergartens, which may deprive children of important content carrying substantive and educational value.