|
April Is Youth Protection Month; Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America, Offers Online Training and Awareness Information
Posted on: 04/04/
PITTSBURGH -- For the Boy Scouts of America, April is Youth Protection Month -- a chance to focus awareness on ways to prevent child abuse -- emotional, physical, sexual and neglect.
Held in conjunction with Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Boy Scouts of America is taking a proactive role to bring youth protection to the forefront of its programming and training.
As part of the awareness effort, the Greater Pittsburgh Council (GPC), Boy Scouts of America, will launch an online version of its Youth Protection Training course, which will be available to all parents, youth leaders and other interested adults at www.gpc-bsa.org. An online training demonstration will be held Thursday, April 24, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the GPC's Flag Plaza headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh.
"The Boy Scouts makes youth protection a top priority 365 days a year," said Robert J. Mazzuca, scout executive, GPC. "By making this type of training accessible online, we can provide youth of our area with better protection by providing parents and interested adults with the knowledge of what child abuse is, how to prevent it, and what the reporting requirements are."
The online training covers a broad spectrum of potential dangers to young people, including how to recognize abuse, ways to protect youth from abuse, and what to do if you suspect a child is being abused.
According to Mazzuca, youth protection training is required every three years for all Scout leaders and for parents who work with the boys at Summer Camp, on field trips, and other Scouting events.
"But the training program also is a valuable resource tool for any adult in the community who works with youth," he added.
A Youth Protection program has been in place for the Boy Scouts of America since -- aimed at eliminating opportunities for abuse within the Scouting program, and focusing on leadership selection and on placing barriers to abuse within the program.
Beginning April 1, councils nationwide will use ChoicePoint, a national Internet-based, pre-employment screening company, to conduct thorough criminal background checks on all volunteers. This process will supplement the current application process, which includes reference checks and the ineligible volunteer screening process. This new process will be conducted for all new adult volunteers in the traditional Scouting program once a registration form is completed.
"Working with ChoicePoint provides the Boy Scouts of America with quick access via a computer to a number of databases for conducting exhaustive background checks to ensure every staff and volunteer is qualified to work with the youth we serve," said Mazzuca.
To communicate with youth about protecting themselves against abuse, BSA has developed a number of tools parents, youth leaders and others can use, including the BSA's award-winning videos about child abuse prevention to help youth recognize dangerous situations and avoid becoming victims.
One of these, titled, "A Time to Tell" and aimed at 11-to-14-year-old boys, has helped countless Boy Scouts and other youth in this age group learn to recognize abusive behavior and take steps to prevent it.
Another, called "Personal Safety Awareness," was produced in for 14-to-20-year-old youth; it covers such topics as Internet safety, stalking, sexual harassment and acquaintance rape.
A third video, "It Happened to Me," is designed for Cub Scouts, boys ages 6 to 10, to view with their parents or guardians. The video addresses high-risk situations that boys may encounter, and establishes safety rules that help the boys counteract the fear and shame that can result from abusive situations.
"Each of these videos have proven to be extremely valuable," Mazzuca said. "They've provided solid information on what can be done to combat these problems."
Another important resource is a comic book created for Cub Scouts and other youngsters in the 7-to-10-year-old age group. The booklet, "Power Pack Pals," dramatizes real-life situations in which youth protection tactics are needed and successfully used.
For more information about the Boy Scouts of America's Youth Protection Training or the resources available, contact Bruce McDowell at , or visit the Web site at www.gpc-bsa.org.
Source: Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America
10/08/
Verizon Wireless Announces Increased Support of The Day One Center; Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line Funded Through
10/06/
Liz Claiborne and Marie Claire Magazine Unite to Launch The 'No More Tour'
Verizon Wireless Hopeline Program Saves Lives, Improves Domestic Violence Victims' Safety and Security
Experts Gather in Chicago October 16-17 to Confront the Demand Element in The U.S. Sex Trafficking of Women
10/02/
Fifth Annual National Conference on Science and the Law to be Held in March
Call for Abstracts for Third National Sexual Violence Prevention Conference
AACD's "Give Back A Smile" Program Restores Smiles During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
More News
|
