From Glen Pounder, Chief Safeguarding Officer, BSA
I wanted to update everyone on the progress of our Youth Protection initiatives since I joined the organization on May 1, 2023.
Our journey in safeguarding our Scouting youth is not a solitary one. It’s a collective effort, with numerous individuals and organizations playing crucial roles. Among them, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable support of Dr. Michael Bourke, the volunteer Chair of Scouting America’s Youth Protection Committee (YPC), and each committee member. This committee, comprised of child protection experts and survivors of abuse in Scouting, has been essential in our progress.
Survivors, regardless of whether they filed claims during the bankruptcy or remained part of the Scouting movement, are an integral part of our journey in safeguarding our youth. Their experiences and insights are invaluable, and we sincerely appreciate their contributions.
I’ve learned a lot from speaking with many survivors of abuse in Scouting in the last year, and the overwhelming message I’ve received is that they want to know that Scouting is as safe as it can be for kids. I could not agree with them more.
The YPC is directly involved in helping us achieve our mission and is engaged with us to review all policy changes regarding our Youth Protection Program. No element of our programs or operations is immune from evaluation as we look to improve, modify, or replace policies to help mitigate threats as we understand them and make the policies clear and easy to understand, implement, and enforce.
As part of its work, the YPC has made significant progress in creating appropriate recognition for survivors, a pathway to Eagle for survivors whose journey to Eagle was interrupted by abuse, and the development of places of remembrance at each of the Scouting America High Adventure Bases.
As an organization, the YPC falls within the Scouting America National Operations Leadership Council, which reports to our National Executive Board (NEB). In 2023, the Board established a new standing committee of the NEB, the Safeguarding Youth Committee, the members of which are all National Executive Board members and of which I am the staff advisor. The mission statement of this committee is:
“The Safeguarding Youth Committee is dedicated to the safety, well-being, and protection of all participants while maintaining relevant, dynamic, and exciting programs and units. We will foster a safe environment where young people can learn, grow, and thrive, guided by the Principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.”
The NEB and this committee are periodically provided with data we have compiled regarding safety and abuse incidents and information on volunteers who we have determined are no longer welcome in Scouting. While some of these volunteers are ineligible as the result of inappropriate behavior within Scouting, many of them are the result of their conduct or behavior that occurred outside of Scouting that we learned through a variety of sources including background checks, news reports, and tips from volunteers and Scouts.
Of course, we are also mandated reporters and will always seek to collaborate with law enforcement in any way possible.
Be a Leader in Safeguarding Youth
We are focused on delivering operationally against our board’s primary strategic imperative: to Be a Leader in Safeguarding Youth.
We are currently overhauling our Youth Protection Training. When this updated training is rolled out in late 2024, one change will be to require this mandatory training annually (currently every two years).
Significant progress has been made in planning our National Safeguarding Youth Symposium, scheduled for October 2024. This symposium, a key milestone in our youth protection journey, will feature expert speakers from the United States and worldwide who will share their insights and best practices. The conference will also provide a platform for interactive discussions to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among youth-serving organizations. I will also be sending invitations to my counterparts in other youth-serving organizations.
Scouting America recognized April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Alongside a personal message from Scouting America CEO Roger Krone, (who in 2024 also visited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and met with survivors of abuse in Scouting), blogs and other content were shared across multiple social media and other channels.
April also saw the launch of a new partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has rolled out an excellent new program called “Know2Protect”. This initiative will provide accessibility to training and resources to keep kids safe online. In addition, Scouts across America will have the opportunity to meet in person with Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations – their “iGuardian” resources are age-appropriate and help empower youth and their parents to prevent abuse.
https://www.dhs.gov/hsi/iguardian
Partnering for Youth Safety
One of the commitments we made in connection with the bankruptcy was to align with an external organization with experience in preventing childhood abuse, whom we could consult while improving our youth protection policies and procedures. We have engaged not one but two nationally recognized organizations to comprehensively assess our approach to policies, strategy, and training on abuse prevention. Their expertise and independent perspective can help us identify areas of strength and areas for improvement, ensuring that our youth protection measures are robust and effective.
Later this month (May), we will host a Youth Protection Webinar, enabling Scout Executives nationwide to hear updates and ask questions about upcoming initiatives.
We continue to facilitate meaningful partnership discussions with other youth-serving organizations. We are discussing mutual challenges and how we might better collaborate, share knowledge, and explore data sharing on individuals who should not be allowed to serve youth – in any organization.
I have accepted a position to participate in an expert group for a Department of Justice (DOJ) funded research project regarding a national surveillance system of abuse in youth-serving organizations. This is an exciting project, and I am looking forward to being involved with the development of some cutting-edge tools designed to keep kids safe in YSOs throughout the country.
We have selected an academic partner to conduct a structured interview research project with recent Scouts (18-year-old plus). This project aims to enhance our understanding of youth safety threats and identify areas for improvement in our youth protection measures. The interviews will be conducted in a confidential and supportive environment, ensuring that the voices of our Scouts are heard, and their experiences are valued.
We partnered with Protect Children Finland on a project designed to understand better the barriers to disclosure of abuse from a survivor’s perspective.
https://www.suojellaanlapsia.fi/en
Finally, we are about to launch a significant upgrade to the ScoutsFirst helpline, a crucial tool in our youth protection efforts. This upgrade will introduce a new feature that allows adults or youth to text to report a safeguarding concern anonymously. We believe this feature will provide a significantly more accessible and user-friendly reporting channel, building trust, ensuring anyone who might seek to abuse their position of trust knows there is another avenue to report and encouraging more individuals to come forward, and ensuring we can respond promptly and effectively to potential issues.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in the Scouting America movement. Your energy, commitment, and warm welcome have been genuinely inspiring. This is an organization where parents and volunteers are deeply invested in the safety of our youth. Your willingness to explore every possible avenue for prevention is commendable and greatly appreciated.
I appreciate that this is a lot of information to digest, but I hope you are reassured by the crucial work ongoing at Scouting America.
Safeguarding youth is our number one strategic priority, yet we know and appreciate that this is a journey, not a destination.
