• Safety Tips:
• Community Safety: Finding a Babysitter
• Kids Safety:Becoming a Top-Notch Babysitter
• Statistics: When Good Babysitters Go Bad

Community Safety:

Finding a babysitter these days is no small task. It wasn't that long ago that babysitting was the employment of choice for most girls in the 13 - 18 age group. Unfortunately, times have changed; today's teenagers are so busy with sports, school activities, part-time jobs and being with friends that they don't have the time or interest to make some extra money on a Saturday night.

So, does that mean you need to resign yourself to spending Saturday nights at home until your children are old enough to stay home alone for a few hours? Not necessarily. There are still plenty of teenagers out there interested in babysitting. You just need to know where to find them. Here are a few places you can look:

• Friends & Neighbors: Find out who does their babysitting and, assuming they are happy with the care their children receive, ask if you can call the babysitter for your children. Be sure to ask if it's ok with your friend/neighbor first; some people can be fairly territorial about their babysitters and are reluctant to share them with others. You can also ask your friends or their babysitter if they know of other teenagers interested in babysitting.
• Local High Schools: Many high schools have Early Childhood Development classes for students interested in working with children. Contact the school and ask to speak with one of the program's instructors. Let the instructor know that you are looking for a babysitter and ask that she have one or two of her better students get in touch you. Students in these courses generally have a genuine interest in children and so, chances are you will find a terrific young person to help you with your children.
• Places of Worship: Similar to high schools, many places of worship have programs for young children that are staffed in part by teenagers. Ask the director of these programs if she knows of any teenagers who are interested in babysitting.

Once you find a potential babysitter, invite him or her to spend a few hours with your children while you busy yourself with household tasks. Without being too obvious, observe how the babysitter interacts with your kids and just as importantly, how your kids interact with the babysitter. If you appear to have a good match, leave them alone for a short time, and then increase the duration of your absence until you are comfortable leaving them for longer periods.

A final word of advice: once you find a babysitter you are comfortable with, be sure to use them on a regular basis. If they know they can count on you for regular work, you will be able to count on them.

Kid's Safety

Most parents will agree that a reliable, responsible babysitter is a rare commodity. With the presence of so many distractions, particularly the Internet and cell phones, it becomes increasingly difficult to be confident that the teenager you are leaving in charge of your children will be giving their undivided attention to the task at hand.

How, then, can a teenager provide assurance that they are reliable and responsible? Aside from arriving on time for scheduled babysitting jobs, cleaning up after the children (making sure toys are put away, dishes from meals or snacks have been washed or put in the dishwasher), and following any instructions left by the parents (adhering to the prescribed bedtime, limitations on snacks, etc.), there are a number of things babysitters can do to assure parents. Here's a look at some of these:

• Steer clear of the computer. A computer, especially one with Internet access, is a distraction many teenagers cannot resist. Those who can manage to stay away from the computer will be viewed more favorably than those who spend most of their time playing games or surfing the Internet instead of caring for the children.
• Turn off the cell phone. Most teenagers use their cell phones to stay in touch with friends. As a parent, it is somewhat unsettling to be giving instructions to a babysitter whose cell phone is constantly ringing. Teenagers should view their babysitting jobs as any other job and give the task their complete attention. By simply turning off and putting their cell phones away, babysitters can demonstrate their commitment to their job.
• Be prepared. Know what to do in the event of an emergency. Courses such as the American Red Cross Safe Sitter Course provides valuable training for handling emergency situations, caring for infants and dealing with misbehaving children. In addition, knowing that their babysitter has completed a training course provides parents with an extra level of assurance.
• No visitors. While having a friend visit can certainly help pass the evening, babysitters should resist the urge to extend an invitation, even if the parents for whom they are working give permission.
• Promptly answer the telephone. For a parent, there is nothing more disconcerting than calling home to check on the kids and not getting an answer. While there are times when it may be difficult to answer the telephone, every attempt should be made to do so as quickly as possible.

It is important for babysitters to recognize their jobs as a serious commitment. Those who are successful at doing this are usually rewarded with more work and referrals to other families.

Statistics:

What types of things happen when parents leave their kids with babysitters? Here are some statistics obtained from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service:

• Approximately 7,000 - 8,000 babysitter offenses, the majority of which are sex crimes, are reported to police each year. This represents nearly 4 percent of all violent crimes committed against juveniles.
• Of all reported crimes against children under the age of 6, an estimated 4.2 percent are at the hands of a babysitter.

Further, in a report published by the University of New Hampshire, the following findings were made:

• Babysitters are twice as likely to commit a sex offense than any other type of physical assault.
• The majority of these assaults are against children between the ages of three and five. Their assailants are typically males and teenagers.

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