Youth Protection

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• Youth Protection
• Training

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Definition of Child Abuse

• The idea of what child abuse is has expanded
  greatly in the last 25 years.
• We first thought of parents who battered their
  children, but now it is much broader.
• Parenting actions that cause harm or violates
  social norms are forms of abuse.
• It just simply is not the way children should be
  treated.

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Four Kinds of Abuse

• Physical Abuse Non- accidental bodily injury by
  a parent or other adult
• Neglect Withholding lifes necessities from a
  child that is vital to the childs safety,
  health, or well-being

• Sexual Abuse Sexual activity where there is
  unusual power used such as age or size, or misuse
  of trust
• Emotional Abuse Denigrating name calling that
  harms a childs self image

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Characteristics of Child Abuse

• Child abuse is a cause of stress like other
  events in life such as a divorce, loss of a loved
  one, or family disruption or problems in school
  and can cause the same symptoms.
• Reactions to child abuse can be excessive crying,
  clinging, aggressive behavior, withdrawal, or
  depression.
• If any of these symptoms appear over a period of
  time, they must be looked into.

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Child Abuse

• The thought of child abusers as dirty old men or
  guys in raincoats are not true.
• Ordinary, well-respected people in positions of
  authority have been found to be child abusers.
• Relatives, public officials, clergy, and
  teachers both male and femaleare examples of
  child abusers.
• A child is more likely to be abused by somebody
  he or she knows or by someone in the family than
  by a stranger.

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Child Abusers

• Child abusers tend to be individuals with low
  self-esteem. Their own needs are so overwhelming
  that they are poorly equipped to meet the needs
  of children.
• Often abusive parents also abuse alcohol and
  drugs.
• Abusive parents sometimes have unreal
  expectations for their children and malign them
  when they fail to meet expectations.

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Date Rape

• Date or acquaintance rape is a real concern for
  high school youth programs.
• More than 50 percent of rape victims are
  adolescent females.
• Their greatest risk is from social relationships
  with a boyfriend or date.
• Date rape is a crime and must be dealt with just
  like other forms of abuse.

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Youth Protection/Creating BarriersThe following
policies have been adopted to guard against abuse
and to give protection to the adult leaders

• Two-deep leadership Two adult leadersone at
  least 21 years of ageare required on all trips
  and outings.
• If male and female youth are present, 21 year old
  leaders of both sexes are required.
• There should be no one-on-one contact with youth
  except on approved agency programs.
• Separate (male/female) adult and youth bathrooms
  and showers on overnight activities are required.
  

• Proper preparation, equipment, and safety
  procedures on high-adventure activities are
  required.
• No secret organizations Parents are always
  welcome.
• Proper clothing is required according to
  activities.
• Discipline should be constructive corporal
  punishment is never permitted.
• Hazing is prohibited.
• Youth leadership is monitored, and guidance is
  given by adult leaders.

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Fraternization Policy

• Because high school programs are designed for
  young adults, there are often little differences
  in the ages of the adult leaders and the
  participants.
• It has been found that maintaining a close social
  relationship, such as dating, between adult
  leaders and youth participants is disruptive and,
  therefore, is not permitted.

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DisclosureWhat if someone told you they were
molested?

• Dont panic or overreact to the information just
  shared with you.
• Dont criticize the youth for telling of the
  abuse.
• Dont promise to keep it a secret you are
  required to inform your youth agency staff, who
  will advise you on what to do.

• Do respect the youths privacy take him or her
  to a place away from others to discuss the abuse.
• Do encourage the youth to tell the authorities
  let him or her know he or she is not to blame.
• Do keep abuse confidential dont discuss with
  other post/group participants.

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Reporting Requirements

• Reporting requirements are different in each
  state know your states reporting requirements.
• In some states youth care professionals are
  required to report abuse.
• No state requires the person making the report to
  have proof, but that it be in good faith.
• All states provide immunity from liability for
  those who report suspected child abuse.
• As a volunteer, you are cautioned to refrain from
  investigating the abuse but leaving it to the
  professionals.

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Youth serving agencies will not tolerate any form
of child abuse in its program and will take all
necessary steps to remove offenders from
participation.
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YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES Tall Pine Council
Reporting Procedures Who is the person in the
Council responsible for receiving reports of
child abuse? 1st Contact Person Marilyn
Costigan Development Director 810-235-8728
2nd Contact Person Michael L. Chaffee Scout
Executive 810-235-2534 How can the designated
person be contacted by someone who wishes to make
a report of suspected child abuse? Tall Pine
Council main telephone number 810-235-2531 What
are the procedures for reporting child abuse
during times the service center is closed? John
Schlobohm Home 810-659-7531 or Mike Chaffee
Home 810-597-7678, If not there leave a message
on the answering machine.
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You also have an obligation to report child abuse
to one of the following agencies  The Local
Police Department Protective Services Genesee
County 810-760-2222 Lapeer County
810-664-5968 Shiawassee County 989-725-3200
(before 5pm) 989-743-3411 (after 5pm)   What is
child abuse? Child abuse is injury of a child by
an adult or older child that might not be
intentional, but is not accidental. It is
usually classified as physical abuse, emotional
abuse, or sexual abuse. Harm caused by
withholding life necessities food, clothing,
shelter, medical care, education is call
neglect.   What if I am not sure that the child
is being abused? The law requires only that you
have a reasonable cause to suspect that a child
is being abused. Once a report has been made,
the appropriate agency will investigate and
determine if abuse can be substantiated. The
identity of the person making the report is held
in confidence.
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YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES Training for
Volunteer Leaders and Parents  Youth Protection
Training is important component of the Boy Scouts
of Americas strategy to protect its members from
child abuse.   Youth Protection Training will be
administered by the Council Training Committees
for Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting and the Exploring
programs.   The objectives for this training are
to   Enable Scoutings leaders and parents to
recognize indicators of abuse when they see
them.   Increase the protection of children by
promoting prompt reporting of suspected
abuse.   Inform out leaders of the Boy Scouts
of Americas Youth Protection policies.  
Increase leaders and parents awareness of other
Boy Scouts of America Youth Protection materials,
including, It Happened To Me, a video for
Cub Scout-aged boys and their parents and A
Time To Tell, a video for Boy Scout-aged
boys.   Inform participants of the precise
child abuse reporting procedures to be used in
our council.
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YOUTH PROTECTION GUIDELINES (continued) Training
for Volunteer Leaders and Parents  The 1995
National Quality Unit Award had added Youth
Protection training as one of the requirements
needed to be recognized as a Quality Unit.   Each
unit in the district will need to conduct Youth
Protection Training for the boys and parents in
each unit.   Training attendance recording forms
can be secured from the district Training
Chairman.   Sample letters of announcement and
agenda can be secured from the Council Office or
District Training Chairman.   Council wide Youth
Protection Training will take affect beginning
with the August 1995 fast-start training course
held in the districts. This is for adult
volunteer leaders.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• David Finkelhor, Ph.D., director
• Family Research, University of New Hampshire
• Dr. Janet Squires, chairman of general pediatrics
• Childrens Medical Center of Dallas
• Richard Krugman, M.D., dean
• School of Medicine, University of Colorado
• Dr. Anthony Urquiza, psychologist
• Child Protection Center, University of
  California
• David Chadwick, M.D. (retired)
• Center for Child Protection, San Diego
  Childrens Hospital
• Jim Chavis
• School social worker, Pittsburgh, PA
• Dr. Anne Cohn Donnelly, D.P.H.
• Senior visiting scholar in nonprofit studies

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Youth Protection Training Certificate

• Congratulations you have just completed Youth
  Protection Training
• You may now complete the Certificate of
  Completion that was downloaded as a word document