Background checks - When are they appropriate?

Scenario 1
Resume… Check!
Call Back…Check!
Interview…Check!
Second Interview…Check!
Background Check…UHHHH…



Scenario 2
Meeting your child’s boyfriend/girlfriend and don’t like them? Why not run a background check?


Background checks seem to be a thing that most people like to do these days. They are pretty popular when it comes to companies who are looking for potential employees to work for them. If a company hires someone with a bad past they can potentially do a lot of harm to themselves and the company at large. They are also used for personal issues such as hiring a babysitter, or checking out if there are sex offenders in your area, which are all good reasons to do so. But what about when parents do not like their child’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or even fiancé, is it okay for a background check to be conducted then? I personally know a couple of people who have told me that their parents don’t like their brother or sisters significant other for many reasons, but what if they feel that this person was a trouble maker in their past and a threat to their family? Should they do a background check or no? This easy step is only a click away.

Not only does this website allow you to conduct a background check in the comfort of your own home, it gives you options as to how you are going to search for the person of interest to make sure you are getting information about the right person. You only have to pay a small fee of $19.95, AND if you don’t get results, you get your money back! Seems like a good idea right? Well what happens if and when your kid finds out you ran a background check on their boyfriend or girlfriend? What happens if you actually find what you were looking for and ban them from seeing each other, what’s the excuse that you come up with because you sure as hell don’t want your kid knowing you did a background check on their “love”. I guess it depends on the information that you find on the person right? Like I said, I have had instances where I hear stories about how Jane’s parents don’t like John Doe many times, but does background checking him/her give any reason as to why someone would like the person? They already have all bad things to say about the person, why add more to the list of things because your feelings will just build up even more. Is it ethically correct to do this to your child? You can answer that one for yourself, but in doing so can only cause turmoil and anger throughout your household. Background checks should be left to the professionals and out of personal life situations unless there is an obvious physical or emotional threat towards your family.