Former Youth Protection Director on the dangers in Scouts BSA

[CynicalScouter]

1 minute ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

Should I forward a copy to our SE?

Why not at this point?

[CynicalScouter]

So, I read his 12 recommendations. In short, as I've said and others; the BSA cannot be trusted. OUTSIDE folks with NO BSA connections (no more insiders) need to be put in charge or have oversight power over this process.

A lot of this tracks with the USA Gymnastics resolution: outside experts, outside committee of victims and experts, etc.

No more hand picked BSA people telling BSA what they want to hear: everything is fine.

[InquisitiveScouter]

11 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

Why not at this point?

Done

Wonder if MJ gave National a heads up...so they could prepare for the potential excrement storm??

P.S.  OOO Reply from SE

Edited October 12, 2021 by InquisitiveScouter

[Eagle1993]

I'm not sure there is a smoking gun, but he does bring up valid concerns.

Overall, the only "inside baseball" that could turn out bad for the BSA:

- 72 hour rule .. if BSA didn't follow their Youth Protection expert, why?  It would be good to see their internal discussions.  My guess is upsetting volunteers which probably won't look good.

- Known offenders having access to kids ... really bad if true.  Really, really bad.

- 50% of abuse is from other youth ... that has started to be an increased focus, but I don't know if BSA ever made this public.  Also, some scouting orgs do not have 11 year olds in the same program as 17 year olds.  We have discussed this and I wonder if BSA had internal meetings.

Overall, he raises some legitimate concerns, many of which have been discussed here.  I'm not convinced this shows a lack of institutional control.  I think it does show BSA struggling to adjust their program to the expectations of safety today. 

 

[johnsch322]

Personally now that this has been announced I am not surprised that it is Anderson and Associates who MJ has chosen to help him. They are a well respected firm in the CSA arena and definitely not a wall street backed mass tort firm.  I believe this will totally damage the BSA's and Coalition lawyers expectation of a faster pennies on the dollar settlement. Hooray!!

[RememberSchiff]

If a professional consultant or board member's resume showed a 10 year director position where he/she had continuing unresolved issues, I imagine that consultant or board member would perform career damage control.

Anyway, a possible explanation as to timing and motive.

My $0.02

[CynicalScouter]

For ease of reference, I'm posting Johnson's 12 reforms ("Necessary Action Steps")

1. Congress should begin immediate hearings and an investigation into the scope and breadth of child sexual abuse, predatory grooming, and the cover-up of crimes against children in Scouts BSA. The investigation should include specific dangers to female and LGBTQ+ youth, the issue of preventable youth-on-youth sexual violence, and the institutional disregard for the plight of survivors and their families. The investigation should include a review of the misuse of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to subvert the exposure of sex crimes against children.
2. Congress should review the Scouts BSA federal charter and consider revising any and all federal charters and protections due to immediate threats to child safety and the cover-up of sexual abuse.
3. Similar to what has recently been done in the Olympics,3 Scouts BSA should work with independent non-scouting researchers and experts to conduct a baseline study to assist in determining the extent of child abuse within the organization, the manner in which offenses were carried out, the leadership structure and decision-making process, and the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of various responses. Without this baseline information, it will be impossible to determine the extent of abuse within Scouts BSA and whether or not current or future policies are effective in protecting children from abuse.
4. Given the large number of youth-on-youth sexual abuse within scouting, a non-scouting independent task force of experts on problematic sexual behaviors of children4 should be created to evaluate past and current risks to scouts in all scouting programs. This task force should include experts on the emergence of pedophilic thoughts in adolescence,5 other sexually deviant behaviors, and develop and recommend a robust plan to prevent youth on- youth sexual abuse. The report, results and recommendations from this task force should be provided to the National Executive Board by the Youth Protection Director and the recommendations of the task force must be a public document.
5. Scouts BSA employees and volunteers should have a recurring background and reference check every two years that exceed the recognized Standard of Care recommended by the CDC.
6. Scouts BSA should actively collaborate with other Youth Serving Organizations and congress in creating a system of sharing lists of individuals banned or removed from the organizations for abuse, serious policy or code of conduct violations against program youth—even if these violations fall short of the required threshold that triggers an investigation by law enforcement. This should be in addition to creating low-cost background checks that will benefit children in every youth-serving organization.
7. No unvetted adults should be allowed to lead or accompany scouts on trips/overnight campouts of any duration.
8. Scouts BSA should immediately hire a full-time child protection director (preferably nonscouter) with significant experience and knowledge in responding to all forms of child sexual abuse and with particular expertise in prevention, recognition, and response to abuse within institutions. This full-time director should report to the CEO and be assisted with additional employees and experts who serve each region of the country. In this way, frontline scouting leaders will have access to knowledgeable in-house expertise.
9. Scouts BSA should publicly release all data and reports compiled by Janet I. Warren, DSW, in her multiple reviews of internal and independent reviews of Ineligible Volunteer Files. They should also release all research, surveys, and requests generated internally and externally on adult-on-youth and youth-on-youth sexual abuse.
10. Scouts BSA should welcome the input and active roles of Scouts BSA survivors at the national executive board level of the organization. This includes inclusion of survivors on advisory boards, task forces, and within any departments, committees, study groups, or taskforces on child protection from the local councils to national level volunteer and paid positions.
11. Scouts BSA should create a non-scouting, 10-member expert advisory panel to advise the national organization on all child, adolescent, and teen issues. This panel should work directly with the Director of Youth Protection to install all reforms needed to keep youth safe and begin the process of restoring public and parent confidence.
12. Congress should maintain bi-annual oversight of these and all recommended reforms.

Edited October 12, 2021 by CynicalScouter

[CynicalScouter]

Johnson on "Some examples of this standard of care failure include:”

• More than 50% of the reported sexual abuse incidents into Scouts BSA are perpetrated by youth in the program. This is due to a lack of adult supervision and vigilance on the part of Scouts BSA including: lack of screening of youth; the large range of ages of youth at many events; and the lack of diligence to inform parents, youth, and leaders of the risk.

• Lack of proper screening procedures for adult volunteers and leaders (per CDCs “Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-serving Organizations” and the Non- Profit Risk Management Center document on screening volunteers).

• Known offenders are still volunteering in Scouts BSA and continue to have access to youth. This is because of a lack of accountability by chartering organizations, lack of access to chartering organizations’ internal lists of known offenders, and religious beliefs in some chartering organizations that allow access to scouting youth by those accused of abuse.

• Lack of reference checks for volunteers, lack of an interview to determine a potential volunteer’s fitness, and decades -long inadequate criminal background screening. Studies show that less than 10% of child predators are arrested throughout their lifetime and less than one in five who are arrested are prosecuted.2 Reference checks and interviews are vital for protection against the vast majority of those who prey on children.

• Against my recommendations, Scouts BSA installed a policy – the “72-Hour Rule” -that is inconsistent with ALL research for adults involved with youth, especially during overnight programming (camping). This “rule” continues to effectively allow ANYONE to accompany scouts on overnight trips without any proper screening — as long as the adult leaves prior to the elapse of 72 hours. If the trip or campout is shorter, this policy effectively allows unvetted adults access and opportunity to scouting youth. It is of note this policy became effective at about the time girls were introduced into the Scouts BSA program.

• BSA continues to minimize the significance of child sexual abuse risk in the program.

• There is no expert in child and adolescent development or youth protection currently employed in the national Scouts BSA office to direct its child sexual abuse prevention efforts.

• When I left the organization, I was asked to sign a non-disclosure/non-disparagement agreement in exchange for a large sum of money. I refused.

 

[CynicalScouter]

5 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

Scouts BSA should immediately hire a full-time child protection director (preferably nonscouter) with significant experience and knowledge in responding to all forms of child sexual abuse and with particular expertise in prevention, recognition, and response to abuse within institutions. This full-time director should report to the CEO and be assisted with additional employees and experts who serve each region of the country. In this way, frontline scouting leaders will have access to knowledgeable in-house expertise.

This is what USA Gymnastics did and what the Catholic Church has done at the national level and in each Diocese.

Why on earth BSA continues to fight this is beyond me.

[CynicalScouter]

7 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said:

If a professional consultant or board member's resume showed a 10 year director position where he/she had continuing unresolved issues, I imagine that consultant or board member would perform career damage control.

Anyway, a possible explanation as to timing and motive.

My $0.02

I agree that is possible and a fair question. If I am reading where he is going (especially the 72 hour rule) it is going the way of "I objected to every part of this every step of the way and then when I couldn't take it anymore I quit."

[vol_scouter]

It is interesting that MJ believed that he worked for Scouts BSA instead of the Boy Scouts of America.  He did not know that Scouts BSA is the name of a program.  Does not discredit him but does make one wonder how well he understood the programs.

[CynicalScouter]

You may recall the recent Senate hearing where members of the USA Gymnastics team testified about their abuse.

I wonder what it would take to get a similar House/Senate hearing on BSA in particular or youth organization sexual abuse in general.

[johnsch322]

2 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

You may recall the recent Senate hearing where members of the USA Gymnastics team testified about their abuse.

I wonder what it would take to get a similar House/Senate hearing on BSA in particular or youth organization sexual abuse in general.

Choose me, Choose me I volunteer!!

[malraux]

13 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

No unvetted adults should be allowed to lead or accompany scouts on trips/overnight campouts of any duration.

While I understand the point, its hard to balance the goal of checking everyone who accompanies a group with a rule of every part of the program is open to parents to observe.

[CynicalScouter]

10 minutes ago, CynicalScouter said:

Known offenders are still volunteering in Scouts BSA and continue to have access to youth. This is because of a lack of accountability by chartering organizations, lack of access to chartering organizations’ internal lists of known offenders, and religious beliefs in some chartering organizations that allow access to scouting youth by those accused of abuse.

This is going straight after the Catholic units. Moreover, this gets even more broadly at what I had previously stated: the entire CO system is a joke. The COs/CORs are SUPPOSED to be reviewing these people and at the very least interviewing them. The adult applications going back to the 1920s had lines that the COR/Institutional Head had reviewed the applicant.

We know that is mostly not true, that the CORs are simply signing whatever is put under their noses, etc.