Personal Safety Awareness Training

[4CouncilsScouter]

Fishing for thoughts here:

 

I am looking over the Venturing Personal Safety Awareness, and a couple things come to mind...

1. The syllabus references "Suicide Prevention" which is not included in the linked video.
2. Am I the only person that thinks the video is a bit dated and out-of-touch?
3. Should crew advisors be presenting this? Honestly, these are fairly sensitive topics and probably deserve someone comfortable/knowledgeable/experienced in said topics to facilitate this training.

What are your crew's experiences and thoughts?

[qwazse]

In my experience, most teens have already gone over this. That said, most of them haven't really thought through applying the material to their circle of friends.

Out of date? Yes. Out of touch? I think people are continuing to use technology to control other people.

 

Our little school district had become a suicide cluster. Two fine young men in as many years, lost. There is no option to wait for someone more qualified or "comfortable" to bring up the discussion.

 

Some of the best discussions I've had are when I opened with "Let me be the first to admit that I'm out of my league ..."

[SSScout]

Some years ago, a local Scout (Eagle project)  developed a peer training program to help identify and help friends "at risk".   It was done with the assistance of pro counselors and was a small success.

 

His project was hooked into some national programs, but I can't remember which ones.   Perhaps this one:  http://www.suicidology.org/ncpys  .

 

Yes, video  is dated , but hey, use what you can.  Invite the discussion.  Ask a local counselor to help.  Like the Scout says, "be prepared" BEFORE you need the skills and tools. 

[Hedgehog]

The videos are dated.  It actually serves to release any tension about the discussions.  We focus the discussion on the Scout Law.  That makes it personal.  What does it mean to be cheerful to someone who going through a rough time?  What does it mean to be friendly to someone who tells you they are contemplating suicide?  What does it mean to be courteous in a relationship?  What does it mean to kind and helpful when you see someone really intoxicated?  What does it mean to be obedient regading underage drinking? What does it mean to be brave when you see someone taking advantage of another person?

 

Ultimately, the Crew needs to know that they are there for each other and that the adults are there for them NO MATTER WHAT.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Hedgehog

[4CouncilsScouter]

Hedgehog,

 

That's our crew's thoughts exactly! In the past, we've tried to ask the local high school counselor and/or a law enforcement officer to deliver a comparable training using the syllabus, and we've always gotten positive feedback from this.

 

Good news though, I've heard through an area Venturing advisor that there's talk at the national level of reworking the training.

[MerleneMir]

Yeah, you are right but they should get training on that. Because it is always good to take precaution. It is said that over a ten thousand women on a campus, about 350 are victims of a sexual assault per year. It is such a sad to hear. So each woman should need to know the tools and skills that are required for her personal safety. Students need to be aware of some safety tips. We can see that most of the students are roaming and walking with earphones in their ears, they never know what is happening around them. Be careful while walking alone at night. While you are at the campus, utilize the emergency system placed at your campus when something comes ups. Also, it is good to have personal safety apps installed on your phones that you could get help whenever needed. Keeping the emergency numbers in your contact list also helps you while you are in danger. Also, carry pepper spray or whistle with you, this can be a lifesaver in harmful situations.

Edited May 2, 2017 by MerleneMir

[Hedgehog]

@@MerleneMir - If you dig deeper into a lot of the statistics on campus assaults, you find a lot of interesting information.  The major studies have used a very broad definition of "sexual assault" to include unwanted touching or kissing and forced oral sex, attempted rape and rape.  Althought the unwanted touching and kissing is wrong, I have a problem in grouping it in the same catagory as the later actions which involve force, coercion or a person unable to consent.  As a result, some of the numbers are misleading without further breakdown.  Nonetheless, most of the later catagory isn't a result of an attacker hiding in a bush, but rather the attacker being someone the victim knows or meet in social situations typically involving significant amounts of alcohol.

 

Nonetheless, everything they need to know can be found in the Scout Oath, Scout Law and basic safety principles.  What does being mentally awake mean?  What does being morally straight mean?  How about being "obedient" when it comes to alcohol use?  What does it mean to be "friendly, courteous and kind" mean?  What does it mean to be "helpful" or "brave"?  How about the buddy system?

 

You can pull a lot of the stories from the headlines and use Scouting principles to analyze the behavior of the person doing the assault, the person being assaulted, the friend of the person being assaulted and other people who observe the situation.  The discussion in my Crew was enlightening.  I got the sense the each of them had a strong moral compass that included not putting themselves in dangerous situations but also taking care of others so that they don't end up in a dangerous situation.  There also was a great sense of respect for the opposite sex and a strong sense of equality -- both male and female crew members objected to the videos having different messages for woman and men.

[MerleneMir]

  Nonetheless, most of the later catagory isn't a result of an attacker hiding in a bush, but rather the attacker being someone the victim knows or meet in social situations typically involving significant amounts of alcohol.

 

This might be true. Sometimes it might be a known person. What should we do at that time? Definetely, we should react. And the question is how we can react??  

[Hedgehog]

This might be true. Sometimes it might be a known person. What should we do at that time? Definetely, we should react. And the question is how we can react??  

 

 

 

According to the research, the percentage of times that the sexual assault victim in a college situation knows the attacker is 75% (although that number may be skewed due to the broad definition of sexual assault used as discussed above).

 

As I teach Scouts when I'm doing Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, the best way to make it out of a difficult situation is not to get in the difficult situation in the first place.  Stay Mentally Awake - pay attention to your surroundings and don't do anything to impair your judgment.  Stay Morally Straight - have a strong moral compass and use it to avoid potentially harmful situations.  Use the Buddy System - two minds are better than one.  Be Brave - that means telling a friend that he or she is not using good judgment and encouraging them to avoid a potentially harmful situations.  Being Brave also means telling a friend that it isn't right to take advantage of someone who has been drinking.  Be Courteous in your relationships, that means making sure both people affirmatively consent to any romantic or sexual activity. Be Trustworthy - your friends trust you to be there for them.  Be Friendly and Helpful, if you see someone who is acting in a way that endangers another person, don't leave those two people alone or if you see someone who is intoxicated make sure he or she safely finds their way home. Be Physically and Mentally Strong - stand up for what you believe.