Safety

We must have Two Deep Leadership at any Cub Scout outing. Two‐deep leadership consists of two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older. If there is not Two Deep Leadership the outing will be cancelled. One‐on‐one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations like Den or Pack meetings, camping and other activities, you cannot be alone with a Scout. Another Scout or adult must be present.

True youth protection can be achieved only through the focused commitment of everyone in Scouting. It is the mission of Youth Protection volunteers and professionals to work within Scouts BSA to maintain a culture of Youth Protection awareness and safety at the national, regional, area, council, district, and unit levels. Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers and is a joining requirement. Youth Protection training must be taken every year.

Today’s youth are spending more time than ever using digital media for education, research, socializing, and fun. To help families and volunteers keep youth safe while online, the Boy Scouts of America introduces the Cyber Chip. In developing this exciting new tool, the BSA teamed up with content expert NetSmartz®, part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children® and training expert for many law enforcement agencies. Netsmartz® has Cyber Chip resources, including grade-specific videos, for each level. Check it out here. Topics include cyberbullying, cell phone use, texting, blogging, gaming, and identity theft.

The Boy Scouts of America takes great pride in the quality of our adult leadership. Being a leader in the BSA is a privilege, not a right. The quality of the program and the safety of our youth members call for high-quality adult leaders. The adult application requests background information that should be checked by the unit committee or the chartered organization before accepting an applicant for unit leadership. While no current screening techniques exist that can identify every potential child abuser, we can reduce the risk of accepting a child abuser by learning all we can about an applicant for a leadership position—his or her experience with children, why he or she wants to be a Scout leader, and what discipline techniques he or she would use. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a multilayered adult leader selection process that includes criminal background checks administered by a nationally recognized third party and other screening efforts.