My child is asking to join the scouts and I’m in two minds.

[Dagda]

My child is very keen to join our local scouts group. I’ve read a lot about the many abuse issues within the scouts and I’m feeling a bit conflicted. If I did let her join what kind of questions can I ask to assure myself that they take child safeguarding seriously?

My son is at cubs. Of the three leaders only one is a man, they meet in a village hall and play games/ make crafts etc. Parents can get involved on a volunteering basis if they want to. There are about twenty kids in the hall... boys and girls... I'm not sure what problems you are envisioning. When they go to the scout outdoor centres they have one bathroom for adults and one bathroom for kids so there is no mixing across the ages. We have talked to my son a lot about consent and touching so I suppose if anyone tried anything he'd know to stop it, but its never even crossed my mind as a concern. We know and trust the leaders well over the years.

She has been on sleepovers and an overnight with her school. I specifically have concerns about the scouts because of their issues with abuse, both historical but also ongoing.

Volunteer as a co-leader then - they will be thrilled to have you. My daughter has had the most amazing experiences of her life through scouting.

The way I see it, is they won’t remember a missed camp (you don’t miss what you don’t have as a child), but they’d remember an unwanted action from a grown up for the rest of their life.

It's not an either/or, you know.

But there isn’t an ongoing issue with abuse. There’s a handful of abusive individuals. There’ll be a handful of abusive individuals working in the schools in your town, in the wide families of her peers. But there’s no systemic issue.

As long as an organisation acknowledges that there are safeguarding risks, and adopt policies and procedures that aim to keep children safe, that’s the important thing.

I’m confused as to why you deem your child’s teachers safer than your local Scout leaders.

I suppose that is arguable. A campaigning group of individuals who were abused within the scouts have accused them of systemic failures in their safeguarding practices which continue to put children at risk.

My children’s school patronage has not been accused of systemic failures in safeguarding.

You’re confusing a general risk to a specific one and treating them as the same.

Your school may not have been accused of safeguarding failures, and I’ll bet your local scout group also won’t have been. Some schools have though had safeguarding failures, as have some scout groups.

Several posters have suggested you volunteer - is there a reason why you wouldn’t?

Op you've made up your mind so why even ask the question?

No I’m really not. I’m not talking about our school. I’m saying the body the school is under has never been accused of a systematic failure in safeguarding. However the overall organisation of the scouts have,

Hence me being concerned.

I’m a volunteer for a child’s activity two nights a week with matches at weekends. As well as working full time and having three children.

I will look into this as an option because it is a great suggestion that would ease my concerns but not sure if it is realistic

Why, best thing my dd did was join the rainbows then the brownies....it be scouts if she wanted. The confidence and life skills and friends she has made ....

No I haven’t. I’m in two minds and that is why I asked.

But has the specific scout group? And the scouting association have acknowledged previous failures in safeguarding and done something about them. Your schools trust may well have very serious failings in its safeguarding policy but been lucky enough for no child to have been affected.

Youll probably have to anyway tbh - just to give your kid a chance to get a place.

What are the current systemic failures you are concerned about?

She has actually been on a waiting list for a few years and now a space has come up so I need to decide. I didn’t put too much thought into it. It was only when she got the space I started reading about them and saw this campaign group of people abused in scouts had said, just in 2023 that there were still systemic failures. This got me concerned.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65881603.amp

Let's be honest. This thread is because you have a grudge against the scouts and are trying get publicity.

This isn't because you are remotely considering letting your daughter go to Scouts.

This is dishonest shit stirring to smear the good character of all the hard working volunteers who aren't remotely involved in this.

You just want to destroy Scouts.

I thought as much from your initial posts.

Oh look.
According to the association, 96% of claims related to offences that happened prior to 2013 - with many from the 1960s to 1990s. But some have happened more recently, including in the last few years.

But yeah do crack on with your thread.

I think you either let your DD go but give her the talk about being aware of grooming, sexual abuse and so on or you don’t let her go and she misses out.

I agree with pp just because there’s safeguarding and DBS checks doesn’t mean abuse still doesn’t happen.

Just as an aside but at 11 you absolutely should be trying to explain grooming to your child. They're old enough to have had sex Ed at school so you definitely should have broached it by now. Apologies if you have x

Yours in Scouting?
This is their current petition:

The Scout Association has responded to our campaign to address its safeguarding practices and take action to protect children under their care. They will be:

1. Setting up a Lived Experience Board, comprised of people who have experienced abuse whilst members of The Scout Association
2. Setting up an independently reviewed inspection programme responsible for monitoring the conduct of volunteers
3. Changing the safeguarding escalation pathway so that concerns are reported directly to their national paid safeguarding team, not via volunteers in the local area

To further protect all children involved in youth organisations, particularly those run by volunteers, we are calling on the The Government to:

1. Add volunteers and leaders from uniformed youth organisations to the ‘Positions of Trust’ legislation, making it illegal for them to have sexual relationships with 16 and 17 year olds under their care
2. Require charities running residential trip for children to be subject to an independent inspection regime

My son was in scouts from the same age, he’s now nearly 20 and a leader. I suppose it helped that the area leader for my area was a very close and trusted friend. My son has had some incredible experiences and made lifelong friends. But as others have said you don’t have to send them on camps etc if you don’t want to

Are they not still allowing trans women to be leaders then?