Due to the vulnerability of the youth and for protection of the adult leaders, BSA has established exemplary youth protection policies. BSA will not allow or tolerate deviation from the rules. The mandatory rules for youth protection are as follows:

Two-deep leadership. Two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings. The chartered organization is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities.

No one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster's conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths. Further, Merit Badge Counselors are not allowed to meet with a boy alone. Some sort of buddy” must be present, whether this is a parent or another youth.

Respect of privacy. Adult leaders must respect the privacy of youth members in situations such as changing clothes and taking showers at camp, and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.

Separate accommodations. When camping, no youth is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult other than his own parent or guardian. Councils are strongly encouraged to have separate shower and latrine facilities for females. When separate facilities are not available, separate times for male and female use should be scheduled and posted for showers.

Proper preparation for high-adventure activities. Activities with elements of risk should never be undertaken without proper preparation, equipment, clothing, supervision, and safety measures.

No secret organizations. The Boy Scouts of America does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders.

Appropriate attire. Proper clothing for activities is required. For example, skinny-dipping is not appropriate as part of Scouting.

Constructive discipline. Discipline used in Scouting should be constructive and reflect Scouting's values. Corporal punishment is never permitted.

Hazing prohibited. Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any Scouting activity.

Junior leader training and supervision. Adult leaders must monitor and guide the leadership techniques used by junior leaders and ensure that BSA policies are followed.

Any suspicion or allegation of abuse by adults or youth must be reported to the local council Scout Executive immediately. The Scout Executive will work within the protocols established by BSA and local authorities. The unit should not perform any investigation, but should merely report the allegation to the Scout Executive.

YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America requires that for all local outings one registered leader must have completed Youth Protection Training. On outings more than 500 miles away, all registered leaders must have completed Youth Protection Training. Each unit should have a registered adult responsible for youth protection training, who provides yearly youth protection training.

DISCIPLINE IN SCOUTING

As stated in the Guide to Safe Scouting, corporal discipline is not allowed in scouting. One of the major goals of scouting is to teach or develop self-discipline. There are some scouts who are not amenable to counseling by the Scoutmaster or other leaders. If the child becomes a constant source of extreme disruption, a counseling session with his parent(s) is in order. If this fails, the committee has the authority to require the scout to transfer from the unit to another unit of his choosing.

For a detailed discussion of these and other safety issues, please read the Guide to Safe Scouting.

ADULT/SCOUT RELATIONSHIP

The relationship between the adult leaders and the young men developing into adults is a warm, rewarding, and enjoyable one. However, an adult must be mindful that a scout operates with certain disadvantages when dealing with adults. The youth view an adult as a role model and are taught to respect their elders. With this elevated status, the adult leader should be cognizant that he or she is interacting with a young man who does not have the experience and training that the adults enjoy. To this end, the adults must be sensitive that what they intend as a “helpful” suggestion is taken as criticism.

Where there are a number of interested and active adults, there is an additional danger that the youth leadership will receive conflicting “helpful” suggestions. To avoid this problem, Scoutmaster should be the main conduit for suggestions. The Scoutmaster and the Committee must agree on troop policy and allow the Scoutmaster to be the conduit for such advice and corrections.