Back in 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported on a secret “file” kept by The Boy Scouts of America that documented several cases of sex abuse that had taken place over many decades. Typically, they were acts perpetrated by scout leaders and assistants on vulnerable young boys. Another icon may fall: the Boy Scouts of America.
We often tend to forget that in this age of the #MeToo movement, that men and boys have also quietly suffered in embarrassment and shame. However, in the wake of the movement many emboldened men have stepped forward to file claims against sexual misconduct.
While the Boy Scouts, rebranding themselves as “Scouts,” are said to be denying it, they are considering bankruptcy as the number of sexual abuse claims has been rising.
Reaping what is sown
The Scouts (there is still the Girl Scouts) are now beginning to admit young women as well, as their membership has been dwindling. It could be that scouting is not as relevant as it once was, that is certainly a causative factor, but it could also be that parents and guardians are growing increasingly nervous about the reports of abuse.
Despite the claim of the Scouts that they are solvent, they did hire a high-powered law firm to explore all options to stay afloat.
The chief scout executive, Michael B. Surbaugh, chief scout executive, issued a lengthy statement that anticipated speculation about the organization’s financial position, and their ongoing response to sexual abuse cases:
“We have a social and moral responsibility to fairly compensate victims who suffered abuse during their time in scouting, and we also have an obligation to carry out our mission to serve youth, families and local communities.”
While the Scouts have issued formal apologies for any boy who was harmed, and while they are saying all of the right things, it may possibly be coming late in the game.
Continued Surbaugh:
“As you all know, we have always taken care of victims. We believe them, we believe in fairly compensating them and we have paid for unlimited counseling, by a provider of their choice, regardless of the amount of time that has passed since an instance of abuse.” Thus, the organization now joins the likes of several Roman Catholic Archdioceses who are compensating victims.
Obviously, the more money the Scouts spend on cleaning up its image, paying sexual abuse claims and providing money for the children and adults to help pay for their counseling, the less money that is available to pay for programs and facilities. As the downward spiral continues, and the less money for programs and the more the news gets out about these cases, membership will keep declining.
Where was the action?
Reports of abuse were not new, just kept hidden and dealt with on an individual basis. While no organization seeks a public scandal, just how long did the Scouts believe it was going to be until this exploded in their faces?
When the chief executive spoke of “having a social and moral responsibility,” I wondered where the word “ethical” would appear?
Around 2000, there were about 4 million boy scouts. By 2016, the numbers had slipped to 2.3 million. With that number of scouts are tens of thousands of scout leaders around the globe.
Underneath the programs, community service, merit badges, and secret handshakes, it is necessary to ask what kind of ethical training is in place to ensure that a scout leader is not also a scout predator? Scout leaders are raised in the fine traditions of scouting and they are mentored, but what safeguards are in place to make certain they are ethically screened and ethically supervised?
As the sex abuse claims have come to light, it is not impolite to ask, “Where was the action? Where was the call to duty to protect the boys and teenagers?”
To the vast majority of leaders, scouting is almost a sacred calling going far back in recent history. To some, however, it was an opportunity to prey on children as young as 11 for no more reason than a sexual need. The Scouts may not want to admit this, but any case of sexual abuse never quite heals. It may diminish, but the shame endures.
If the Boy Scouts of America are serious, ethical training must be instituted, closer supervision of leaders must be adopted and ongoing programs detailing any activity that might be construed as sexual harassment, bullying or abuse must be recognized.
To not do so, to ignore these problems as trivial, will be a rationalization that will bring the organization down. Another icon may fall: the Boy Scouts of America.
