Hi Greg, I'm sorry that you were abused. I assume because you put "Cub Scout Troop" by your signature, that you were abused in Cub Scouts? I imagine there are

Hi Greg, I'm sorry that you were abused. I assume because you put "Cub Scout Troop" by your signature, that you were abused in Cub Scouts? I imagine there are a bunch of parents that read HN that have their kids in Scouts. So this never happens again to any other kid in Scouting: they should know that the BSA has Youth Protection Training (YPT) which has clear rules that state there should be no private one-on-one contact between adults and children. If anyone's Pack, Troop, or Crew is not following that simple rule, they need to report it. First start at the unit committee, and if that doesn't work, contact the Council. Of course if you suspect abuse and not just a violation of the rules, contact the authorities. Anyone can take YPT (you don't have to be a member of the BSA), just create a "My Scouting" account and take the online training. Additionally, if the unit is chartered by a church, make sure everyone is also taking that church's version of youth protection training as well (The Catholic Church calls it Safe Haven, the Episcopal Church calls it Safegaurding God's Children, etc). As a parent, you should make sure every parent and adult volunteer in your unit is trained. When everyone knows the rules, then we can make sure they are being followed to prevent abuse from happening. The sad fact is that ever since the BSA came out with YPT in the 1970s, children are more likely to be abused in churches and schools than in Scouting. (I'm an adult volunteer in Scouting, and I take this issue very seriously. I want to help make the future a better place, and that starts with our children.)