Boy Scouts and Bullies

[qimissung]

Some kids will misbehave in any situation-

That's also true. I remember when my son was in Scouts a number of years ago. A slightly older kid was in his tent (there were three or four boys in there) and he masturbated in front of them, really freaked them out.

It is interesting that the Girl Scouts got brought up, and that no one in the media, as far as I can tell has yet done that concerning this issue. Melanie's concerns aside, this is the Girl Scouts official stance:

Sexual Orientation
The Girl Scouts value diversity and inclusiveness and, therefore, do not discriminate on any basis. However, we do not permit the
advocacy or promotion of a personal lifestyle or sexual orientation, nor do we recruit accordingly. Indeed, we have firm standards relating
to appropriate conduct on the part of all adults who work with girls. We believe that sexual orientation is a private matter for girls and their
families to address.
References:
Blue Book of Basic Documents 2000
-Constitution of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, “Preamble,” p. 7
-”Selection of Adults,” p. 21
-”Membership Requirements,” p. 25

In my opinion, the Boy Scouts are long overdue for an updating of their repressive policy. Let the Southern Baptists kick and scream. We always grow slowly, it seems, in fits and starts. One can only hope that eventually they will come around. As it says in Matthew, "By their fruits shall you know them."

I truly fail to understand why it took the scouts so long to come around. We "allow" gay teachers in the schools-I've worked with many over the years. What's the difference? The scouts, if I remember rightly, always had a policy of "two deep", meaning that when they were working with the kids there were always going to be two adults which I thought was a sound policy.

I think the concerns over sexuality concern those scouts in upper middle school or high school. Scouting doesn't end in the sixth grade after all.

[Lykren]

Melanie, you said you were uncomfortable with your daughter sleeping near someone who was sexually attracted to her. But I can only assume said attraction is something to be uncomfortable with if it brings with it a possibility of rape or abuse. Is that what you are really concerned about? It seems to me that, practically speaking, an adult counselor or group leader of some sort would be far, far more likely to A) have the desire to force themselves on a child, and B) be able to do so. In that case, are your fears not misplaced?

I'm not offended at what you said, just trying to explain to you why I think your statements have some logical gaps in them.

[Melanie]

...camping, sleeping arrangements, showering or anything of such personal nature. Some kids will misbehave in any situation--mischievious prankish stunts like short-sheeting the scoutleader's bed or rigging a water bucket on the cabin door. But would they turn a Jamboree into Caligula's orgy? I don't think so. It would hardly occur to them. Worrying about the possibility of actual sexual activity among the kids in this age group is not only silly but echoes the fatuous arguments against abolishing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" in the military.

AuntS..."Orgy"? I said, as a parent, I would feel uncomfortable if my daughter were to share the night in a tent with a girl who was sexually attracted to her. I wouldn't want my daughter to sleep with a boy who was sexually attracted to her either. That's two, not an "orgy".

"Sexual activity among kids in this age group is silly"?
Girl Scouts range in age from 9 -18....those ages aren't adults, they're minors. Contrary to what you suggest, it's not unheard of for children ages 12+ to engage in sexual activity. It's a different world now.

Here are the facts:
These statistics (regarding intercourse...not including other types of sexual activity) come from Albert, B., Brown, S., & Flanigan, C. (Eds.) (2003), 14 and Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents (Summary), Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, pp. 5-10:

"Five percent of 12-year-olds, 10 percent of 13-year-olds and 20 percent of 14-year-olds are sexually active.
When you consider that less than half of 12- to 14-year-olds have ever been on a date, these numbers are staggering.
The numbers are increasing.
Though the proportion of sexually active girls ages 15 to 19 has decreased, the proportion of sexually active girls age 14 and younger has increased.
They have multiple sex partners.
More than a quarter of sexually active 12- to 14-year-olds reported multiple sexual partners in the past 18 months."

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "in the year 2007, 47.8% of US high school students reported having had sexual intercourse. Every year, an estimated 1 in 4 sexually active teens contracts an STD, and teenage pregnancy is 2 to 10 times more prevalent in the United States than in other similarly developed countries."

"Today both boys and girls are now "entering puberty at least two years earlier than previous generations. This means they are ready for sex earlier physically, but not emotionally or cognitively."

Solution? I haven't got one. I don't think it would be fair to turn any child away except for unruly behavior. But it is interesting to note that the Scouts of America are a Christian organization..."on my honor, i will try to do my duty to God and my country"...and God's Word aka the Bible is opposed to homosexuality.

Lykren, I'm sorry, I missed your post regarding "rape and abuse". Like "orgy", I'm not expecting these exaggerations. As a parent, I'm concerned about any display of sexual attraction in the night alone in a tent without adult supervision in the tent. I see no gap in logic there.

[Volya]

Surely that means you wouldn't want your child alone with any other girls or boys, for fear that while alone they would engage in mischievous acts. Plus, I personally don't see much of a problem even if during a tent sleepover there is some sexual attraction going on, since if you just teach your child about these kinds of things properly, they'll be sensible enough to not do something foolish.

In regards to it being a Christian organization... Did you really think there was any other reason why they didn't want homosexuals in their Scout group? That's why the Southern Baptist churches don't want them to change the rules, because they're a bunch of homophobic idiots.

[Lykren]

Lykren, I'm sorry, I missed your post regarding "rape and abuse". Like "orgy", I'm not expecting these exaggerations. As a parent, I'm concerned about any display of sexual attraction in the night alone in a tent without adult supervision in the tent. I see no gap in logic there.

Many displays of sexual attraction I can think of would pretty much fall under my definition of abuse, because they would be harmful to the child, emotionally speaking. Can you mention what kind of act, specifically, you're afraid of? If, for example, you are thinking of one child (or teen) telling another that they are attracted to them, then I fail to understand the problem. But if you mean an incident like what happened to Qimi's son, that is more understandable; nevertheless I believe there is more likelihood of such an act being perpetrated by an adult.

Even if it were done by a minor, there is no telling whether such an act would be motivated by the hypothetical minor's homosexual desires. Such disturbing activity could easily be committed by heterosexuals who are more sexually precocious than their companions, no?