YPT Training for Youths

[dScouter15]

I'm in a position where I may need to direct some youth protection training for youth camp staff members. After reading in another thread how some areas are moving towards requiring YPT training for den chiefs, I wonder if anyone has any advice or ideas on how to conduct a YPT session for a youth audience - what topics to discuss, what topics to avoid, etc.

[Eagle92]

YPT for summer camp staff is covered in NCS and the info is given in the CD book.

[FScouter]

I don't think youth protection training should be devised by the person asked to deliver it. Follow the syllabus and you should be fine. I'd also say that anyone "moving" toward YPT for Den Chiefs is ill advised.

[shortridge]

When I was on camp staff as a youth and adult, everyone received the same YPT training. The same rules really apply to both youth and adult staff in a camp setting - it's the whole people-in-positions-of-authority thing.

[clemlaw]

>>>>I'd also say that anyone "moving" toward YPT for Den Chiefs is ill advised

[dScouter15]

A few clarifications: the youth camp staff in question are staffing a program that isn't covered under NCS guidelines. But, I will use the NCS guidelines as a reference.

 

Also, as we all know, "training" is not the same as "presenting." I will of course follow any guidelines and training materials available from the BSA, and by no means do I want to "devise" my own curriculum. But, I think a huge part of effective training is knowing one's audience, and knowing how to convey the raw information in a meaningful and useful way. That's the topic I'm trying to drive at in this thread.

 

Finally, ill advised or not, there does seem to be a push in some councils anyway to provide YPT training for den chiefs and other youth leaders. I'm not opposed to this idea at all, provided that it is approached intelligently, and covers information that is relevant to the youth members, and steers clear of irrelevant or unnecessary topics. That's another area that I'm trying to draw out via this thread.

[shortridge]

If it is a Cub Scout, Boy Scout or Venturing resident camp, Standard M-10 (M for Mandatory) applies, pertaining to training. "Presentations include the required Camp Leadership Youth Protection Begins With You, No. 623-127, or evidence of completion of the online Youth Protection training." There is no deliniation between "youth YPT" and "adult YPT."

 

As a youth camp staff member, I received the same YPT training as did camp staffers twice and three times my age. Neither I nor any of my fellow youth co-workers had any issues comprehending or dealing with the information presented. I think you'll find that the youth you'll be dealing with are going to be far smarter and far more mature than you seem to give them credit for.

 

There's no need for you to re-invent the wheel, and certainly no need for a list of topics to avoid. Follow the syllabus, and you'll be fine.

[BS-87]

If anything, camp YPT needs to include even more than the standard YPT.

 

There are far too many situations that someone can consider threatening at camp, and the staff needs to know how to protect themselves. They also need to be able to identify the signs of abuse, in case parents or leaders aren't following the rules on their end. And once again, they need training on how to protect themselves from abuse, as they may be put in vulnerable positions.

 

[shortridge]

That's a really good point, BS-87. Youth camp staffers can easily find themselves in situations that most adults instinctively know to avoid - like changing in the pool shower rooms together, or on a one-on-one walk across camp with a non-staff buddy.

 

FYI, here's the document referenced in Standard M-10, which provides a general outline of camp YPT training: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/623-127.pdf(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[qwazse]

Yep, this would have come in handy for youth to know on several occasions. But, it's not that the youth that I'm thinking of weren't trained -- so, dS15, your real goal is to bring it the YPT points home.

 

I think you tell the kids up front: "I'm teaching you straight from the book because this is what we adults have to learn. You need to know how to expect us to behave, but you also need to know how YOU need to handle things."

 

If the camp director is around to lay out how he would implement YPT among staff, it would help nail your talking points to something practical.