How do you handle scout (mis)behaviors?

Yah, in another thread we were talkin' about "punishments." BSA literature is remarkably sparse about offerin' techniques for managing kid behaviors, and that sinks a lot of leaders who don't have prior experience working with groups of teens.

So, in you unit, how do you handle misbehaviors? Concrete examples are better, try to avoid "theories of constructive discipline". What do you actually do? Yeh might choose to respond to behaviors in three different levels

Simple/frequent (like civil infractions ex. parking tickets). Examples might be doing a lousy job at a chore, using a bad word, dropping litter in the campsite

More serious, but not awful (misdemeanors). Perhaps a no-injuries shoving match with a friend, mouthing off to the SM, etc.

Serious (scouting "felonies"). Stealing, bullying, etc.

A couple years ago at summer camp, a few of the boys bought one of those fold-out saws from the comessary and were caught cutting down young, live trees. (One of the boys was about 195+ pounds and actually tried to hide behind a three inch tree. It was difficult not to laugh and keep on task). We sat the boys down, had them teach (supervised) Knife & Ax to some new scouts needing their tottin' chip, then they were required to re-memorize the Outdoor code and tell us what it meant to them and finally, since this occurred at camp, they did a service project where they could use their sawing skills (and energy) to repair the fence surrounding the Ax Throwing yard.

Beavah, you thread spinner you. lol

Our troop has the following guidelines.

Minor behavior issues. First the youth is talked to by the PL or SPL or both. Youth leaders are to aprise the ASM Patrol Advisor of any "issue" and move on. If it continues, the youth leaders pass it to the ASM, ASM brings it to the SM. A SM confrence occurs immediately, usually with the boy, the SM and the ASM who was originally involved.

Physical abuse or bulying. My troop, historically, has a good culture where it relates to bullies. We don't stand for it in any way, shape or form. If we see a potential for bullying, we stop it immediately and take the boy aside and talk. I am very up front with the parents and will discuss the issue with them at the drop of a hat. Consequently the only time we have had an issue, the parents are bullies themselves. If a boy touches another boy in anger, or with an intent to do harm, he is raked over the coals. I have a meeting with the boy, his parents and the CC and discuss the rules for expulsion from the troop and how the behavior harms the unit as well as the boy with the behavior issue. This gets thier attention and shows the SM means business. There is no second meeting, the SM recommends that the Committee expell the youth member, if it is done, the expelled youth is told he may not attend any further or future unit activities of any kind.

one key method we use is to have issue delt with by some one who is not involved with leading the group at the time. The PL, SPL or even SM only tell the youth to go see the Pl, SPL ASPL, SA or SM and then get back to leading.

First this leaves the active leader in their role with group and does not disrupt the program.

Second it takes all the fun out of being dieruptive. Nothing works like depriving them of an audience.

Hmmm. We've solved the problem with a variety of different options. Buck and gag is popular, but my favorite is public humiliation.

Now that I have your attention, and before anyone get's bent out of shape, the Crew is Civil War Reenacting. We had one boy who did not fulfill his responsibility to have a clean weapon ready for the battle reenactment (safety infraction big time, so the issue was serious.) He was not allowed to participate in the reenactment battle that day (basically a time-out punishment) issued by an adult who is not part of the group and when the "battle" was over, he was court-marshaled and shot by firing squad. He has since recovered from his "wounds" and as far as I know, has never shown up for inspection since with a dirty rifle. By the way, this boy was not the only person that day who had to stand down from the battle because they didn't pass inspection.

The lessor infractions (i.e. didn't help out with a canteen run as ordered by the sergeant) will have to submit to public humiliation. One young 14 year old had to wear the sign "Drunkard" stand on a barrel in the middle of camp for 15 minutes with a bottle of booze in each hand arms extended. Of course when his dear mother received the carte de vistas of this boy's exploits, they were prominently displayed on the home mantle. This young private never crossed the line again.

Needless to say, a little ribbing, with a serious undertone often times goes a long way to instill discipline on a peer-to-peer level. In our crew that peer-to-peer works well. While the boys know full well that the BSA adults in the group are not on the same level, respect between them is. Boys that are treated as adults will react like adults. Those that are treated like children will react like them. In 8 years of working with the crew, one boy, one time said he would give a ride to his buddy to get him home and didn't. If that's the biggest discipline problem we've had to face, we count ourselves as blessed.

Stosh