Japan's DBS Equivalent: Early Guideline Development and Promotion Following Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act Passage

Regarding the introduction of a "Japanese DBS" system, which verifies the history of sexual offenses against children in Japan, Kato, the Minister in charge of Child Policy, has stated that they intend to prepare guidelines summarizing the responses of businesses and promote publicity as soon as possible after the enactment of the bill.

The bill for the introduction of the "Japanese DBS" allows businesses to check the history of sexual offenses of individuals working in child-related fields through the Ministry of Justice via the Child and Family Agency. The government plans to prepare guidelines that summarize the responses required of businesses after the bill is enacted.

At the House of Councillors' Cabinet Committee on June 11th, Kato, the Minister in charge of Child Policy, stated, "It is necessary to convey the specific contents of information management measures, including the relationship with the personal information protection system, and precautions to those concerned in a way that is as easy to understand as possible."

He continued, "I would like to strive to create the guidelines with the cooperation of experts and related organizations to ensure appropriate measures are taken. Taking the preparation period of the target businesses into full consideration, we will strive to complete the guidelines as soon as possible before the enforcement date of the law and thoroughly promote publicity."

Currently, Japan lacks a system to verify the history of sexual offenses against children for those working in child-related fields, which allows individuals who have committed child sexual offenses in the past to work in child-related fields again. To address this issue, the introduction of the "Japanese DBS" is being pursued.

However, concerns exist regarding the introduction of the "Japanese DBS." In particular, clear standards have not yet been established for specific responses required of businesses, such as confirming the history of sexual offenses of job applicants or current employees, and "preventive measures" in cases where "risk of sexual violence" is deemed to exist.

The Child and Family Agency explained, "Since the target industries are broad and the ages of children vary, the content of 'risk' and the evaluation process can be interpreted in various ways, making it difficult to provide a uniform standard." Therefore, they plan to create guidelines by incorporating the opinions of related organizations and experts and promote publicity.

The introduction of the "Japanese DBS" is an important measure to protect children from sexual offenses, but it imposes new obligations and responsibilities on businesses. After the bill is passed, businesses must be familiar with the contents of the guidelines and take appropriate measures. Furthermore, a cautious approach is necessary to address concerns about personal information protection and infringement of freedom of occupation.