Youth Protection and Child Abuse
Because of the great concern the Boy Scouts of America has for the problem of
child abuse in our society, the Youth Protection program has been developed to
help safeguard both our youth and adult members. Published and videotape
materials have been prepared to give professionals and volunteers information on
the resources available for educating our membership about child abuse -- how to
avoid it, how to identify it, and how to deal with it. These materials and local
council training programs are designed to give parents and their children basic
information that will increase their awareness.
| One important source of information is the booklet How to
Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parents Guide. The booklet is
available from any Scout Shop. |
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An on-line version of this booklet is also available here.
How
To Protect Your Children From Child Abuse - On-Line
Unit leaders can learn more from these materials:
- Youth Protection Training for Adult Leaders, No.AV-09V001A. This is
a comprehensive youth protection training program for all (60 min).
- Youth Protection: Boy Scout & Cub Scout Leader Training Module,
No.AV09V010. This is an abbreviated version of the ninety-minute Youth
Protection Training course released in 1988, with materials specifically
tailored for leaders working with Cub Scout -age and Boy Scout-age youth.
- Youth Protection: Explorer Leader Training Module, No.AV-047. This
is an abbreviated version of the ninety-minute Youth Protection Training
course released in 1988, including materials that address challenges unique
to Exploring.
- A Time to Tell, No. AV-09V004. This award-winning youth protection
program dramatizes three abuse situations and what to do about them. It was
designed to be viewed by 11 -to 14-year-old boys and can be used by
non-Scouting groups and organizations. An on-line meeting guide is
available to help leaders plan their presentation of
A
Time To Tell.
- It Happened to Me, No.AV-09V011. This training program has been developed
for 6- to 9-year-old male audience and his parents. It is designed to
educate this age group, through five scenarios, on the issue of sexual abuse
and the "trickery" involved in luring young victims. An
on-line meeting guide is available to help leaders plan their presentation
of
It
Happened To Me.
All persons responsible for youth safety must understand and appreciate
Scouting's position of zero tolerance for child abuse or victimization in any
form.
Unit leaders should report any suspected abuse to the Buckskin Council Scout
executive.
The BSA's Concerns About Child Abuse.
Child abuse is a social problem that had been identified by the BSA as one of
five unacceptable ranking in social significance with drug abuse, illiteracy,
hunger, and unemployment. This identifies child abuse as a priority area for
using BSA resources to increase the protection of our nation's youth. As one of
the leading youth-serving organizations in America, the Boy Scouts of America is
deeply concerned about the tragedy to child abuse. The grounds for this concern
follow:
Child abuse causes significant harm to individuals, which affects youth
members (physical and psychological harm), parents and others in the community.
Child abuse has an impact on the BSA, internally and externally.
It can discourage youth, parents, leaders, and organizations from participating
in the program.
It can injure the reputation of the Boy Scouts of America and cause it to loose
community support.
Kinds of Child Abuse
The four kinds of child abuse follow:
- Neglect. Failure to provide for a child's basic needs -- physical,
environmental, emotional, and nutritional.
- Emotional abuse. Verbal or nonverbal violence directed toward a child
that gives the child the message that he or she is no good and never will
be.
- Physical abuse. Physical violence causing injury to a child by the
caretaker who is under stress and out of control.
- Sexual abuse or sexual molestation. Any sexual act between an adult and
child or between a child and a significantly older child. Such acts range
from exposure and fondling to sexual intercourse.
It is possible for a child to be a victim of any one of these kinds of
abuse, and often more than one kind. For example, a sexually abused child is
probably also emotionally abused; a physically abused child may also suffer
from neglect.
Children of any age may become victims of any form of child abuse. Most
child abuse happens in the privacy of the home; therefore, no one knows
exactly how many children are affected. There is general agreement among
experts in the field that the majority of child abuse and neglect cases are
never reported.
While neglect, emotional abuse, and physical abuse are significant
problems, this material will focus on the matter of sexual abuse.
Sexual Abuse
Youth organizations, schools, churches, communities, and families, as well
as individual youngsters are all potential victims of child sexual abuse.
Because of the unique role of the Boy Scouts of America in the development of
millions of youth each year, it is important for the BSA to understand this
societal problem and know the steps to combat it.
As previously mentioned, child sexual abuse or sexual molestation is any
sexual act between a child and adult or a child and a significantly older
child. A person who prefers to have sexual relations with a child is called a
pedophile, and the psychological term for this perversion is pedophilia.
Not all child molesters are pedophiles and conversely, not all pedophiles
are child molesters. When discussing an incident of child abuse, it is
preferable to use the term child molester when referring to the perpetrator.
There are no reliable means of predicting the identity of a child molester
or the potential for child sexual abuse until that person is revealed for the
first time. Preferential child molesters (pedophiles) often are considered
"regular" people, whose friends and neighbors are shocked when the
molester is caught and publicly identified. Studies have proved that most of
the commonly accepted stereotypes are false. Child molesters generally fall
within the normal range of intelligence. They may or may not be married. They
may even have children of their own. Most child molesters are known by their
victims; the vast majority are family members or have an authoritative
relationship with the child, i.e., a teacher, coach, or youth group leader.
Prevention of Sexual Abuse
The Boy Scouts of America has a five-point strategy to attack the problem
of child sexual abuse with the following key elements:
- Educate Scouting volunteers, parents, and the Scouts themselves to aid
in the detection and prevention of child sexual abuse.
- Assist chartered organizations in strengthening leader selection
procedures to prevent offenders from entering the BSA leadership ranks.
- Reinforce policies that create barriers to child sexual abuse within the
program.
Encourage Scouts to report improper behavior in order to identify
offenders quickly.
Swiftly remove and report alleged offenders.
- This comprehensive strategy has the elements necessary to minimize the
possibility of sexual abuse occurring within Scouting as well as
increasing the awareness of youth and adult members to the greater
societal problem.
The key to quality Scouting is the unit leadership guiding the Scouting
program on behalf of the chartered organization. The unit leaders are selected
by the unit committee and approved by the head of the chartered organization.
The procedures for making this selection are set forth in the publication
Foundations for Selecting Unit Leaders.
In making the leadership selection, it is the responsibility of the unit
committee to review the information included on the application and check the
references provided. The application asks for additional background
information and requires a sign-off by both the head of the chartered
organization and the Scout executive or professional designate. The council
professional staff must give guidance to chartered organizations and unit
committees in the critical task of selecting good leadership.
The responsibility of the chartered organization includes overseeing its
use of the Scouting program. For example, it is the responsibility of the
chartered organization for any Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Varsity Scout
team, Venturing or Explorer post to inform the committees and leadership of
the units (any pack, troop team, or post) they operate that sufficient adult
leadership must be provided on all trips and outings.
Page last updated
03/09/2010
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