Abuse
Physical Abuse – injury intentionally inflicted.
Economic Abuse/Exploitation – Deliberate temporary or permanent misuse of another’s money or belongings.
Emotional Abuse – mental or emotional injury inflicted resulting in an observable and material impairment in growth, development or psychological functioning.
Neglect – failure to provide basic needs of vulnerable individuals or protect them from harm.
Sexual Abuse – contact or activity of a sexual nature without consent or when consent is not possible.
Verbal Abuse – use of words intended to cause harm or demean the person being spoken to.
Adult: Anyone 18 years of age or over.
Child/Minor/Youth: Anyone 17 years of age or under.
Protecting Young Victims From Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-126): On Feb. 14, 2018, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was signed into law and became effective immediately. The bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, extending the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, within 24 hours to all adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition.
Provider: The exclusive commercial vendor engaged by The American Legion National Headquarters to conduct background check screening of Designated Individuals of Junior and Senior American Legion Baseball teams:
Priority Research Services, Inc., DBA “Protect Youth Sports”
14499 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 201S
Tampa, FL 33618
(877) 319-5587 (8:30am to 4:30pm Eastern Time)
protectyouthsports.com
Designated Individual(s): All adult participants (coaches, managers, volunteers and players, 18 years of age or older) of Junior and Senior teams of the American Legion Baseball program.
Organization: The American Legion National Headquarters.
Reporter: An individual reporting suspicions or allegations of child abuse.
2021 AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL RISK MANAGEMENT GUIDEBOOK 3
Team Sponsor: The American Legion post or other organization sponsoring a Junior or Senior American Legion Baseball team.
Verifier: Those who are assigned responsibility for making verifications as noted below. It is strongly urged and recommended that the respective American Legion department and/or American Legion post or other organization sponsoring an American Legion Baseball team assume the responsibility for verifying that:
1. Each Designated Individual has successfully passed the mandated background check screening requirements for each upcoming season
2. An individual charged with or having a case pending involving disqualifying criteria is prohibited from having contact with the team until legal adjudication has been made and the screening has been confirmed as successfully completed
3. A substitute or replacement team coach, manager or volunteer staff does not assume any duties with the team until the background check screening is successfully completed
4. Validity of information that a team coach, manager or volunteer staff may have sustained one of the disqualifying criteria in the interim after a required background check screening
5. Non-screened adults removed from the field of play have successfully completed a background check screening prior to their return.