Background checks are a standard part of the hiring process for many employers. These tools involve collecting and inspecting private and public records to determine a candidate's employability. The type of background check a employer or private citizen may require - could consist a person’s: Criminal record - Education - Employment history - Motor vehicle records - Credit history - And more

There are many reasons that people run background checks, but in some cases, a background check can help protect you against scammers, sex offenders, or other violent criminals. Here are a few statistics that can help explain why comprehensive background checks are so important:

• After declining from 2018 (23.2 victimizations per 1,000 persons) to 2021 (16.5 per 1,000), the overall violent victimization rate in 2022 rose to 23.5 per 1,000. The rate was higher for all types of violent crime in 2022 than in 2020 and 2021.
• Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Nearly 2 out of 3 men admit to lying about something on their online dating profile (60.8%). Just under half of women admit to lying about something on their online dating profile (48.6%). The number one thing that men lie about on their online dating profile is their age (25.2%, roughly 1 in 4).
• 2020 was a record-breaking year, with more than 21.7 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation made to NCMEC’s CyberTipline. This marks the highest number of reports ever received in one year – a 28% increase over 2019.
• As of February 2023, there are over 786,000 people on the US sex offenders registry. This figure marks a 3% YoY increase and is the highest recorded since 2019. It also translates into 237 sex offenders per 100,000 residents.