Training
Youth Protection Training
The BSA has updated their Youth Protection program as part of an ongoing effort to protect young people from child abuse. Two major aspects of Youth Protection have changed.
- All new and existing adult leaders must log in to My.Scouting.org and complete the updated Youth Protection course, even if they have taken the old course or have a current training certificate. Adult Leaders have until Oct. 1, 2018, to take the updated training. Failure to do so will prevent your unit from rechartering. New leaders cannot register with the BSA without first completing YPT. The updated course will take about an hour to complete. It includes cutting-edge research from the top experts in the field of child abuse prevention. It covers topics like bullying, neglect, exposure to violence, physical and emotional abuse, and child sexual abuse.
- Beginning June 1, 2018, all adults who will be present at a Scouting activity for 72 hours or more must register as volunteers and complete a background check and Youth Protection training. This includes parents, merit badge counselors and any other adult who will be there for an extended time.
The BSA is serious about fighting child abuse, and you’re an important part of that fight. Thank you for your vigilance and dedication. For more information on these changes, please see the official web release here.
Parents’ Guides to Protecting Your Children from Child Abuse
Cyber Chip – to keep youth and volunteers safe when online, the Boy Scouts of America has introduced the Cyber Chip program, now a required component of rank advancement. Detailed information on the Cyber Chip program and the requirements by age and rank can be found here.
The idea that a Scout should treat others as he or she wants to be treated—a Scout is kind—is woven throughout the programs and literature of the Boy Scouts of America. When a Scout follows the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, bullying and hazing situations should never occur. These fact sheets will help with bullying awareness and direct you to resources provided by the BSA and other entities we work with to protect children.