BSA programs for troubled youth?

[CA_Scouter]

I was approached by a new Mom this week who asked me about 'mentoring' or 'big brother' programs within the BSA. She indicated her son has recently become more withdrawn, having some trouble in school, etc.

 

I'm pretty sure I know the reasons why this occuring as the kid has had some big changes in his family life recently, however that's not the point of this post.

 

I'd like to know if the BSA has any programs/instructions/training etc to address behavioral or emotional issues with kids. I hit scouting.org and did some searches but am not coming up with much. Any advice?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stosh]

While there may not be any specific training on the subject, there does remain a certain amount of expectation that goes along with the scouting program.

 

Our council does address many of these issues in University of Scouting and there's always Roundtables where scouters can talk with each other on many of these issues.

 

There are many others out there who have real world experience with problem kids and are more than willing to help out other scouters who face similar situations. One just has to ask.

 

There is also a great resource in the UC's and DE's. These people have had extra training in some of these areas that could also be tapped into for assistance.

 

I have had ADD/ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome kids in my units and they have gone on to Eagle, but they require some extra attention and understanding on the part of the leaders to help them along. A lot of the expertise I have in this area comes from pure experience and very little if any training, but others around me have always been helpful in guiding me along. One only has to ask around, but the answers are there. It would be helpful if BSA had more training on this, but with the load they have it isn't always feasible. What percent of the population is struggling? What can be done legally? Do I have the resources to help and what's the cost? These are all legitimate questions that BSA may not be in a position to handle.

 

Obviously if the scouts are smoking pot on campouts, is it the responsibility of BSA to have a police force, lawyer, and social worker available in every unit to handle it? Probably not for the percentage of kids in this situation.

 

Stosh

[shortridge]

I may be reading too much into your post ... but it sounds like she might be looking for an adult male to mentor or be a "Big Brother" to her son in place of or to supplement his father. If that's the case, suggest she look into Big Brothers/Big Sisters, which can provide that one-on-one relationship. Scouting's just not set up for that. We can provide support, friendship, role models, group association and fun, but perhaps not what she's looking for. Youth Protection kind of precludes that type of thing.

[CA_Scouter]

Yes, obviously. However, where in the world did you come up with the idea that the kid was smoking pot? ( He's not smoking pot btw... he is drinking a lot of di-hydrogen oxide, but again, that's not the point of this post).

 

 

[Stosh]

The example I was using was not WHAT the substance was, but the situations that one find oneself in doesn't have all the resources available to handle the problems created by .000001% of the population.

 

There isn't anything in the written BSA material that tries to deal with iPods and cell phones, but shared resources among the leaders in the area might be useful to the SM who drew the short straw and ended up with that one kid who is in the .000001% of the population.

 

I have fatherless scouts in my troop. While it might be a struggle getting the busy and divorced dads to a Dad and Lad outing, but what kind of pressure am I putting on the scout who's father has died?

 

If one looks closely, ALL scouts have various problems of one sort or another. Some are smart others aren't. Some have emotional problems, some have situational problems, some have more money available than others, and the list goes on. BSA can't handle all these exceptions and heaven-forbid, tries to put everyone into the same pigeon hole.

 

Unless the boy fits exactly into a specific, perfect, ideal situation he has to be farmed out to a program that deals with his issues? I don't think one has to be that precise to help the vast majority of boys in the program. The .000001% of the boys need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

 

Stosh

 

 

[SMT224]

My experience has shown it's not the adults that pull a withdrawn kid out of his funk, but older Scouts and Scouts his own age that are doing things he may be withdrawing from.

 

This is the great thing about Scouting - the adult leaders enable things to happen, but it's the boys themselves that really are doing it. This kind of learning and growing by example, especially since all the Scouts can participate in it, can be the best thing for a kid that is becoming one with his XBox360. I have a couple examples of boys in our Troop now that went from very shy kids to excellent Patrol Leaders.

 

On the other hand, I've had mom's drop off very out of control boys with the expectation that we will somehow magically induce character into their way-ward son. Does not work. Usually he hates being there and does not last more than a painful month.

 

[skeptic]

The Scouts as a "fix my kid" group is often an idea some parents have, especially a lot of lower income, single moms who are already severely stressed by adolescent boys. Lem, in "Follow Me Boys" sort of perpetuates that idea; but if you look closer, he too struggles, just as some of us have done. You are not always successful; but the ones you win are often rich in returns, both to the unit and yourself.

 

I long ago determined I had to be as honest as possible with the mom, or occasional dad, who specifically came to me with the idea that somehow Scouts would solve their problems, but had little or no time to be involved (too often a real case in less well off homes). You need to tell them that it will not likely help if the boy resents it from the get go, has little or no familial support for the program, or has serious issues that require specialized treatment or training. And, as pointed out, most who still try end up disappearing from the program very quickly.

 

Whatever we do, we need to not let these rare situations negatively impact the troop as a whole. If they come into the group and immediately stir up unrest and worse, the leaders and CO need to move to solve it sooner, than later. I learned the hard way years back when I just did not want to give up on a boy. It almost sunk the troop, and I did lose a few potentially great scouts.

 

JMHO

[AvidSM]

The BSA's mission is not to take care of troulbled youth, but somehow it ends up with more of it's fair share of them. Whether the BSA's overall program can accommodate troubled youth, I guess it depends on what the trouble is and whether the boy likes scouting or not.

 

I've seen troubled boys who were forced to attend our meetings. It was very obvious that they didn't want to be there and were giving everyone a hard time. They attend only a handfull of meeting and then you don't see them anymore - thank goodness.

 

The worst one's are troubled and stay longer because they can't or won't leave the troop. I've lost other boys because of them. The problem was, I didn't know that they were the cause of losing the other boys until much later - after the troubled boy eventually leaves. It's something I had learned and knew to watch for. I always went out of my way to find out why a boy had left the troop - getting information from both the parents and other boys.

 

Then there are the troubled boys who like scouting and it does wonders for them -I'm taking about boys with arrest records. Association with adults is the key to their transformation - adult scouters who value their contributions and pay attention to them when they want to talk.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

So you have a new troubled youth in a 6 boy patrol.

 

How will he impact the patrol? Patrol Leader?

 

How will he impact the troop?

 

Is it worth it to the troop or Patrol?

[Eamonn]

Hi,

To the best of my knowledge there really are no specific BSA training's for dealing with kids who have problems.

I'm not in any way an expert on this and don't claim to have any special knowledge or know how in the area.

In fact I might be seen by some as being a bit of a dummy.

While there are kids who do need special care and maybe even treatment, which is way beyond the skills of most Scouter's.

There are also kids who just need what might be called a port in a storm.

A place where they feel safe and to be with people who they know care about them.

I like to think that Scouts and Scouting can provide both.

 

I really don't think that we need to go overboard on this.

I'm not in any way a touchy feely sort of fellow!

Still introducing a kid with problems to a bunch of other kids who are having fun and who feel good about themselves and what they are doing can and does act like a tonic.

Some of these kids feel that all the adults they know have let them down. Parents have their own problems, teachers at school are upset about failing grades and are on at them all the time. Sometimes just having an adult who acts like an adult is enough.

Eamonn

 

[Crew21_Adv]

CA_Scouter and Fellow Scouters,

Greetings!

 

Some good advice and comments already posted, but I think Eamonn nailed it.

 

As I have been told. (Like many Scouting urban legends begin)

 

BSA has consulted, contracted and also hired professional educators, pediatrician docs, sports medicine professionals and behavioral psychologist. Specifically, when writing and authoring various advancement program handbooks, recreational and leadership programs. But BSA is not going to certify in any of those professions.

 

BSA desires for us leaders to deliver a quality program to all boys with all kinds of needs. But rarely do you find any boys that are cut from the same mold.

 

I would say that the BSA program for Mentoring and Big Brother already lies within the patrols and the troop. The Scouts need to constantly be re-educated or reminded that is their duty, during Troop Leadership Training or by sending a SPL to NYLT.

 

To the best of my knowledge. BSA is aware of Scouts with a variety of needs (physical, mental, health, family, etc), and has presented these in some of their reports and surveys. Ive seen a few in the accessible BSA webpages.

 

Reports and findings yes. Programs, Training, Instructions, we already have. I am not holding my breath on any specific (needs) training beyond Scoutmaster Specifics or Cub Scout Specifics.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

(This message has been edited by Crew21_Adv)