Child abuse is a major problem affecting our society today. Each year more than two million cases of suspected child abuse are reported. In real terms, this means that one percent of American children are experiencing physical abuse, 1 percent are experiencing sexual abuse, and two-to-five percent are experiencing emotional maltreatment or some form of neglect. Because of the significance of this social problem, the Boy Scouts of America has declared child abuse as one of the "unacceptables" to receive special attention by those involved in the Scouting program.
The Boy Scouts of America has developed a five-point plan to combat child abuse and to improve the environment in which young people live. The key elements of this strategy include the following points:
The Boy Scouts of America has developed materials for use in the Scouting Program that provide essential information to members and their families. A detachable booklet in the front of The Boy Scout Handbook, "How to Protect Your Child from Child Abuse and Drug Abuse: A Parents Guide," provides useful information to help our young men and their families increase self-protection skills.
Troop 4673 is committed to following all guidelines of the Youth Protection Program. Any suspected violations of the Youth Protection Program will be reported to the Scoutmaster, Committee Chairman, and the Council Executive. All incidents are taken seriously and appropriate action will be taken to ensure the safety of your Scout.
Our policy on use of social media is clear: abiding by the "two-deep" leadership policy that governs all Scouting activities also applies to use of social media. Two-deep leadership means two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required for all use of social media.
There will be no private messages and no one-on-one direct contact through email, Facebook messages, Twitter direct messaging, chats, instant messaging (Google Messenger, AIM, etc.), or other similar messaging features provided through social media sites between an adult and a youth member. All communication between adults and youth will take place in a public forum (e.g., the Facebook wall), or at a bare minimum, electronic communication between adults and youth will always include one or more authorized adults openly "copied" (included) on the message or message thread.
It is our policy that all personal information be kept private (e.g., we will not openly display a name, phone number, address, or personal email address).
Click here for additional information on BSA's policies regarding use of social media.