Safeguarding issues in the Girl Guiding movement

[EishetChayil]

Parents of daughters in the Girl Guides - what do you think about the new lead commissioner for the Southwell division?

"Monica Sulley" also goes by the name of "Monica Tetley", and used this name to sign Aimee Challenor's open letters (a quick Google will shed some light on why this might be a safeguarding issue). This is just the latest in a series of WTF moves from GG.

My DD isn't old enough for Guides yet, but if she was, I would be thinking twice about sending her if this is deemed suitable as leadership. Perhaps this makes me a huge transphobic TERF witch bigot, but there we go.

If someone wants to be a dominatrix, then that's nothing to do with being a GG leader.
Obviously, they should be keeping that side of the private and away from GG... But their sex life should have no bearing ok their suitability to lead , surely?
It doesn't matter what freely consenting adults do in the bedroom. Nobody is concerned about what adults do behind closed doors within the law.

Any individual posting sexualised material on social media when they're working with children shows either a cluelessness about safeguarding (which is concerning) or a disregard for safeguarding (which is even more concerning). It raises questions about their judgement and questions about whether they would adequately safeguard the children in their care.

Thank you to the original whistleblower who brought attention to this. I think you've done something really important, I hope it is acted on or I don't think I can really continue volunteering or collecting subs that help fund this organisation.

If someone wants to be a dominatrix, then that's nothing to do with being a GG leader.
Obviously, they should be keeping that side of the private and away from GG... But their sex life should have no bearing ok their suitability to lead , surely?

Their actual sex life isn’t the actual issue.

The issue is that they have no sense of what is proper and responsible to make public when you work with children.

Can you imagine public pictures like that being acceptable for a teacher, nursery worker, childminder or the likes? They wouldn’t be.

Plastering your sex life publicly is akin to standing around talking about it in the playground. It says everything about what you think is and isn’t appropriate.

It’s not appropriate for children, or parents, in any way to know anything about their guide leader’s (or teacher etc) sex life.

Your charges should not be able to go online, Google you for a giggle and find stuff like that.

And what does it teach young girls in an already over sexualised world? Schools and parents are trying (mostly) to educate girls about the dangers of sending photos and posting things online that could harm them in future. Then you have the Guide leader giving that example… it’s not appropriate.

As a guide leader what would make you choose to put on your guiding uniform and pose for a photo with a gun? I find that really chilling. What was the thought process behind it?

To me it looks like a photo of a male born person enjoying wielding power over women/girls.

Like I said, chilling.

Not RTFT so apologies if duplicating, this is a good article:

4w.pub/trans-identified-male-now-a-senior-leader-at-girl-guides-uk/

Also, there are two GG leaders have been expelled and need our support, see here - the first has an open crowd funder.

twitter.com/wontsomeonethi2

twitter.com/MsHelenWatts

If you are concerned by all of this, please let GG know - you do not need to have a daughter in guides:

www.girlguiding.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

I had my daughter's name down for Rainbows from birth. I turned down the place because safeguarding is so bad. Also I don't want my child being told.she isn't a real girl because she is strong, active, independent, has an opinion - the things GG used to prize.

I've just messaged them to ask....

'Could you just run me through the safeguarding processes you have in place, please, that protect young girls who may be placed in his care? He does seem to be quite fond of guns, and sadist/masochistic sex play, neither of which I remember fondly from my time in the Guides (1989 - 1997).

Many thanks,

SY79.'

Wonder how the Countess of Wessex and the Queen (President and Patron of GGUK) feel about this?

@LolaSmiles

What freely consenting adults do in their bedrooms within the law is entirely up to them.

Posting sexually suggestive content on social media demonstrates questionable judgement for someone wanting to work closely with children.

Absolutely this. It's incredible!

GG have tweeted that they are aware of the situation and looking into it. Of course... the account is now locked, but I am sure there is enough screen shotted images for them to see.

Sadly, I am not certain that they will dismiss this person. I expect they will slap them on the wrist and make them hide their fetishes.

@00100001

I don't think what an adult dies in their personal life has anything to do with their suitability for being a GG leader tbh.

However, I fundamentally disagree with males being allowed to join girl guiding, which they are now allowed to do. This goes against everything Girl Guiding is supposed to be about. Giving girls a female only, female led environment where females can lead, empower each other and change the world.

it’s not their personal life if posted on public social media though.

If this was a private photo someone else got hold of and put on social media without this persons consent that would be different, but it’s not. This, and many many other highly inappropriate pornographic photos were posted to a public social media account that girl guides would be able to view.

That’s against the terms and conditions of being a leader in girl guides.

Has this been picked up by the national press? If not why not?

If this was a female guide leader it would be headlines for the tabloids?

What's going on here?

The more I think about it, the more weirded out I am by this (if possible)? Young people really need to guidance about what is / isn't appropriate to put out there on social media and this isn't exactly modelling sensible behaviour. Its also - for all the individual identifies as female - a bit 'male privilege'. I have many MANY reasons why I wouldn't put a pic like that out there in any identifiable way, but a major one would be fear of 'attracting' a violent / abusive offline male response. I'm guessing a lot of women would feel like that

There's an area of safeguarding around "culture."

It was a culture of turning a blind eye to the bolshy behaviour of Vanessa George at Little Teds nursery; people where mildly intimidated by her attitude and turned blind eyes to low level concerns.

That allowed her to abuse.

Because of the the way stonewall et al have had such a forceful no debate campaign around trans inclusion, particularly trans women, there's already a culture of "be kind and inclusive" as a base for someone like this in this public role designated for females.

Whist this person hasn't abused, there's clearly a number of low level concerns around acceptable social media use and public parading of questionable items and attire for some you this standing.

A female GGder would be queried for similar images. Doubt a female would post such stuff anyway.

My issue is how the safeguarding procedures for the organisation allow a culture of fuzzy perceptions around boundaries.

Nope, no MSM coverage, except for the Huffington Post OL which is all about women surviving on the front line during Covid 🙄
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/survivors-women-on-covid-front-line_uk_603e5bfac5b68297150372d2

GG have tweeted that they are aware of the situation and looking into it.

Of course they are aware of it, their 'rigorous recruitment and vetting procedure' would have picked it up. They knew who they were bringing into the role. They just didn't think it would get out so soon.

(That's my professional post btw. My personal post would be deleted and a ban)

Ive just googled the news arouns this. How is it not in the news!?

Is everyone too afraid ?!

Give me strength.

Why does this person want to be involved with Girl Guiding? Did they spend their entire childhood in the cubs/scouts etc, and their early adulthood as a scout leader or helper? Did they spend their entire life desperate to be in the Guides instead, but weren't allowed to? If they did, and have this level of prior dedication to the scout movement, then I can understand why, after transitioning, they would want to be involved in guiding.

But if not? If a transperson had never had any prior connection with scouting or guiding before, what possible reason could there be for wanting to become involved with the Girl Guide movement?

@foxgoosefinch

Don’t be daft, of course the checked social media. But this is a transwoman posting these highly sexualised pictures, with the even worse insinuations you list, therefor it is brave and stunning and girl guides must support this transwoman celebration of her femininity.

Is everyone too afraid ?!

The culture says do not challenge. Be kind.