Re: Child Abuse Video Resource
golden cliff (c60clg1@CORN.CSO.NIU.EDU)
Tue, 28 Jan 1997 11:51:01 -0600
This is regarding the video "A Time to Tell". We show it to our Scouts
every year. We are overdue showing it this year and will be scheduling
it in the next few months. It is an excellent video and probably the
most important one you could possibly show your Scouts.
Our troop has our it's copy of the video, which we have loaned out to other
troops. Each council should have copies available for troop use.
We have a school counselor come in and do a talk after the video. I
don't feel comfortable leading a discussion on this subject, and since
she is a middle school counselor, the boys already know her. She does an
excellent job.
I have also given a copy of the video to our local police department.
They said it was one of the best resource they've seen on the subject.
The video emphasizes the "3 R's" of youth protection, "Recognize, Resist,
and Report".
The Scouting movement has taken a 3 prong approach to preventing child
abuse within our program.
1. We have taken greater measures to screen our leadership, anyone
comparing the old adult applications with the new ones will see this.
2. We have implemented stricter regulations introduced in
the late 80's to try to prevent the opportunity for abuse to occur.
3. "A Time to Tell" is meant to educate the boys so they can recognize
potentially dangerous situations, know to resist and possibly avoid the
abuse, and report the individual to save other victims from abuse by getting
the abuser stopped.
Screening adult leaders, preventing opportunities for abuse, and educating
the Scouts themselves. If you are not showing the boys this video, you
are not doing everything you can to prevent abuse.
The boys themselves are the final barrier to abuse. I think educating
them is one of the most important aspects of preventing abuse. It's
really what Scouting is all about; educating youth to be prepared so they
can respond to anything they encounter in life. That's what we do.
A Quick Story ----------- Several years ago a boy was abused by an adult
he trusted. He couldn't tell anyone. It wasn't until after his second
suicide attempt that the truth finally came out. He spent 6 months in a
psychiatric unit before he was ready to re enter the normal world. It was
then that he became a Scout in my troop. He was a shattered boy who
wasn't sure he even wanted to live. We got him involved in something
positive, Scouting. He learned to trust adults again. He rebuilt his
self esteem through outdoor programs, leadership, and high adventure
challenges. He had some great experiences through Scouting. He said one
of the most important days in his life was the day he received his Eagle
Scout Award. He even put in a year or so as a full time BSA employee. He
eventually decided against professional Scouting as a career. He no
longer lives in the area, but is still registered as an adult in my troop.
He visits the troop a couple times each year. I remain in contact with
him to this day.
If devoting one troop meeting each year can help to prevent the horrible
experiences he went through, it is surely worth it. There are many things
we can do to affect the lives of boys in our troops. I believe showing "A
Time to Tell" and having a counselor talk with them for 15-20 minutes of
discussion is as important as teaching them first aid or CPR.
If you haven't yet shown this video to your Scouts, call your local
council office and request this video, then devote a meeting to youth
protection. You may help save a boy from a horrible tragedy.
YIS, Cliff Golden
Scoutmaster Troop 33; DeKalb, Illinois
Three Fires Council BSA
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
