Scouting and Youth Safety
Child sexual abuse continues to be a significant topic of the national conversation. Recently, several news organizations have featured stories about adult survivors of sexual assault experienced while Scouts.
Boy Scouts of America not only believes and supports these victims, but is outraged that there have been times that individuals have taken advantage of Scouting programs to harm children. Boy Scouts of America has taken significant steps over many years to respond aggressively to reports of abuse.
Media coverage often contains a number of inaccurate and misleading statements regarding youth safety in Scouting. Here are the facts:
- No harm to a child is ever acceptable.
- Scouting is and always has been one of the safest places for 120 million youth members for more than 100 years.
- The BSA’s Youth Protection practices and policies have been cited by safety professionals as the gold standard for all youth organizations.
- Since the implementation of two deep leadership in 1987, sexual abuse has been practically eliminated in Scouting. We must remain vigilant and work with the larger community to end it everywhere.
- If you are a volunteer, you’ve taken youth protection training, undergone a criminal background check, and play an integral role in the BSA’s commitment to keep kids safe. At Samoset, and at all councils across America, adhering to and upholding these policies is a duty we take very seriously. I encourage you to view and share this video and infographic about the BSA’s youth protection measures and resources that make Scouting safer than ever before.
November 24 2020 Letter to Samoset Families
If you have questions about Samoset Council and Boy Scouts of America’s commitment to Scouts’ safety, health and wellbeing, or would like to learn more about Scouting, please contact Samoset Council Scout Executive John Overland at 715-490-2734.
