MarkBrownsky

He was. There was one vote that split the difference. Given that, my son was the obvious choice and the SPL from what I can tell, was initially fine with my son being ASPL. It has caused my boy a lot of stress as he is very committed to scouts (OA, National Leadership Training etc..). This discussion has been very helpful! Thank you to all of you for your contribution.

Social exclusion and choosing not to be a friend are two completely different things. Social exclusion in the context of bullying refers to an action that is designed to repress or abuse another. The bully will isolate as punishment or simply to control the victim. The distinction is also found in the severity and frequency. Is it a constant action or a once off? Are there other examples where the scout is being picked on by the same scout? In the case of my son, the negative actions have been consistent over a long period of time. This isn't an isolated incidence of rudeness, but a systematic process of degrading my son by the SPL. In fact, its been going so long that it became the new normal.

Thanks, @FireStone this is very helpful.

I appreciate your input. I hope I didn't come across as just wanting to cause issues with my troop. What I was trying to communicate is that if there is inaction I have somewhere else to go. I would much prefer to have it sorted at the troop level.

Thanks for your response. Its presently with the SM, with the CC so far being kept informed. Are you aware of any BSA guidelines that provide guidance to the SM and CC on how to best respond to bullying? If they don't handle it well, I can always report it to the Area Council.

My son is Life and working towards Eagle. He is presently ASPL and has been involved with his troop for many years. Recently while on summer camp he experienced several incidences of bullying from the troop SPL. I reported it to the SM and troop committee chair. What was communicated to me by the SM was that they were undertaking an investigation (which involved talking to my son and the SPL) as I asked for it to be completed. My understanding is that BSA is clear that bullying isn't tolerated and needs to be acted upon. Which is why I was confused when the SM suggested that he was only completing it as I requested it. This is a red flag for me. I want to make sure that the right process is followed. All my research has produced excellent guidance by BSA about avoiding bullying, what bullying is etc.. but I could find no guidelines on what is to be done if a bullying incident occurs, and particularly when the bully is SPL. What advice do you have? I want to make sure the proper process is adhered to and that the SM and committee follow the correct procedure.