BSA will take a hit for this one...

[Adam S]

It amazes me this still happens, moreso when someone is a BSA leader and should have been Youth Protection trained...

 

http://www.bnd.com/372/story/1041246.html

 

 

Added after original post:

It sounds like they had no idea who she was? How can parents not know the unit leadership? I am wondering if this was the case or just poor reporting.

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by adam s)

[Beavah]

Yah, I think if we feel that Youth Protection Training actually prevents bad people from being bad, we're foolin' ourselves.

 

Da primary purpose of da major YPT stuff is to protect adult leaders from false accusations and the appearance of impropriety, and to allow da BSA/CO to say that folks were "trained", which makes for good PR and an OK fig leaf defense in court.

 

Most of the adult level YPT doesn't do a lick to actually prevent abuse. That part of da program is the youth-side of YPT, eh? Stuff like the parental discussions and the "Time to Tell" videos and such that unfortunately most troops don't actually use.

 

If yeh want an example of a decent recognizing/preventing abuse training for adults, look at the Catholic CO's Virtus training, which focuses much more on da patterns abusers use to gain access, and less on "policy" type stuff which is easily circumvented.

 

Ain't an issue of parents knowing the unit leadership either, eh? In almost every case of child sexual abuse, the parents know the perpetrator quite well - uncle, grandpa, spouse, neighbor, coach, scoutmaster. That's how the person gets access, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[AwHeck]

I didn't get that they didn't know her, I got that the reporter was being vague to protect the identity until charges are filed.

[packsaddle]

She's probably a follower of one of those northern Hedonist theologies - nothing like this EVER happens in the South, no sir.

[DancesWithSpreadsheets]

I don't think any form of YPT is going to deter a determined abuser. I've sat through the local RC diocese's "Safe Environment" training, and mostly what I got out of the three hour session was:

1. There are people out there who will do bad things to your kids

2. For the most part they look normal and are not strangers to their victems

3. About the only thing we can do about it is keep our guard up.

 

All of which I pretty well knew before hand. Thanks, but I'll take the BSA's training with concrete policiesw and procedures.

 

The incident in question did not happen at a BSA function, where YPT guidelines would have been in effect and at least made it more difficult for the perpetrator. Background checks only work to weed out those who have been caught before.

 

Making the youth aware of their role in YP with "A Time to Tell" or similar materials is important, but probably won't do much good if the youth is a willing particiant in the encounter.

 

Sadly, all you can do is all you can do.

 

Regards,

DWS

[skeptic]

Would suggest that the moderators move this to the "Political" forum, as it will likely get a lot of that type of comment and opinion. Thanks.

[NealOnWheels]

Beavah, I have to disagree with your assesment of the purpose of BSA Youth Protection. I think it was meant to reduce incidents of abuse within Scouting.

 

However, it does little to reduce abuse occuring outside of scouting activities between youth and adult leaders as happened in this case.

 

I knew a DE who was arrested and convicted of abusing a scout he had contact with. The abuse happened outside of scouting.

 

I do agree with you wholeheartedly about the Catholic Virtus training. It goes well beyond what BSA training provides in that it goes into details of offender behaviour that can often be observed by other adults. Maybe such a training could have prevented this incident maybe not. BSA could learn a lot from the Virtus training. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[JerseyScout]

I don't think that they'll take a hit. There is a difference between an organization hiding an abuser (a la the church scandels relatively recently) and a member of an organization who is also an abuser.

 

No one is suggesting that Scouts protected a woman who was abusing children, so I don't see much fallout coming from it.

[skeptic]

While we should always be disappointed when individuals, both adults and young people, sometimes make bad decisions, even if they "are" scouts. On the other hand, it simply is reflective of the fact that scouts are still simply kids. The perception that they will not make poor choices is a reaction to the public image that was developed over the past century. And, stats seem to support the idea that scouts who have more than a fleeting participation "do" have fewer negative situations in their lives than those that have not.

 

Maybe the fact that the image is still in play is a good thing. Certainly the sarcastic comments, such as "he is such a boy scout", are actually complimentary.

 

Even back in 1960, the BSA quietly sent a number of scouts and leaders home from the NJ in Colorado Springs due to being caught with prostitutes. Police arrested hundreds of them at the Jamboree. Temptation and immaturity are part of growing up; and how young people deal with it says a lot about them and their adult guidance.

 

So, this really should have little effect on BSA, as they did what they could it would seem. Now, if it turns out that this had been going on for a long time and it was known by the local scout leaders with nothing being done, then it could have fallout. That does not appear to be the case.

[Eagle92]

Jersey,

Unfortunately the literacy and civics levels of some of the commentors on that link leave something to be desired. There are a few people are complaining that all the BSA did was revoke the membership. They didn't understand that A) the lady was arrested and will be going through leagal procedings (the lieracy aspect) and B) there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt (civics aspect).

 

So yes a few commentors HAVE questioned the BSA's response. Sad but true. (This message has been edited by eagle92)

[Eagle92]

From this post

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewthread.asp?threadID=260396

 

 

Female Boy Scout leader charged with having sex with boy in troop

By Nicholas J.C. Pistor

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

12/09/2009

 

ST. CLAIR COUNTY A female Boy Scout troop leader was charged Tuesday with criminal sexual assault for allegedly having sex with an underage boy.

 

Sheriff's deputies said the boy's parents arrived at their home outside Lebanon from a shopping trip Sunday to find the woman "engaging in mutual intercourse with their minor son." CRIME STATS

 

 

Wendy R. Rogers, 39, of the 1400 block of North Smiley Street in O'Fallon, Ill., was named in one count of criminal sexual assault and held in the county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. She was arrested at the scene after the parents blocked the door so she could not leave, authorities said.

 

Police said they were still conducting interviews with members of Troop 35 in O'Fallon to see if there are other victims. A troop statement said that Rogers' membership has been revoked and she won't be allowed to participate in scouting again.

 

"Other criminal acts of sexual intercourse between the two are being investigated, which possibly occurred at the suspect's residence and during a camping trip in Southern Illinois with the Boy Scouts," said sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

 

"This betrayal from an adult in a leadership position undermines the entire philosophy of the Boy Scouts and everything they stand for," he said. "The local management of the Boy Scouts has been very cooperative with the investigation."

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

It's not the training: It's effective oversight of adults, by other adults, and by the youth, that makes YP effective.

 

I'll cry now, for the young men of this Troop. They've come to maturity early, by default.

[scoutldr]

As Beavah would say, "Yah, hmmm." One of the articles states that alleged encounters occured at scout campouts. That should not happen in a unit that was YP trained and the fellow Scouters were alert and vigilant. What happens in a scout's own home is beyond our control...that's the parents' responsibility.

[Mafaking]

 

 

What a disaster for her son, the boy, the troop, the charter and for her.

 

Mug shot Photo:

http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/1042233.html

 

 

A Wendy Rodgers has a facebook account. I can't access Facebook from work. I wonder if its the same Wendy Rodgers and if she post anything about scouting on her Facebook account.

[Lisabob]

Let's be careful not to start a witch hunt here, Mafaking. I don't know if the FB Rodgers is the same person, nor do I really want to know. But if it isn't, why open that unrelated individual up to scrutiny. The legal system is dealing with this, apparently adequately, and that's enough for me.