dakota the problem isnt so much the yf finding out, its the fact that they must then go and mention this to parents who will not view it the same way at all. Kids are intuitive as you say but my experience is that if there is a possible rift between what they feel and what their parents feel they will feel obliged to go along with the parents.
I have had very bad experience of this myself and the two boys were not in any way yfs just friendly and very neglected neighbours. The father, who was absent, got to hear that I was chatting to them and he put it about that I must be a pedophile and banned his two boys (on threat of a good slapping) from coming near me. It was a terrible time.