Equitably Compensate Victims
We believe victims, we support them, and we encourage them to come forward. We are heartbroken and outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. Our plan is to use this Chapter 11 process to create a Trust that provides equitable compensation to victims.
Keep Kids Safe
We have an important duty to keep children safe, supported and protected while preparing them for their futures.
- Nearly 100 years ago, the BSA began maintaining paper files to prevent individuals accused of abusing youth from re-entering our programs. While the nature of these files, now referred to as the Volunteer Screening Database, has been misrepresented over the years, they are the critical foundation of our modern system, which the CDC describes as a best practice to protect youth.
- Starting in the 1980s, the BSA first implemented comprehensive youth protection policies and procedures. As knowledge on child sexual abuse prevention has advanced, so have our expert-informed policies.
- All BSA volunteers and employees are required to promptly report any allegations or suspicions of abuse to law enforcement.
- Our policy is that we permanently remove individuals based solely on the suspicion of abuse.
- We would like to recognize the more than 35 million volunteers who have served our movement since our founding, the overwhelming majority of whom have been committed to youth safety and delivering the mission of Scouting.
Preserve the Future of Scouting
The BSA will continue to serve young people as it has for more than 110 years. As our nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, we have an important duty to keep children safe, supported and protected while preparing them for their future. We have every intention of continuing to fulfill these responsibilities.
There has never been a better time to be involved with Scouting.
- In the past year, we have recognized 61,353 new Eagle Scouts, all of whom completed at least 21 merit badges, made significant contributions to their local communities and embody the Scout Oath and Law.
- The BSA’s members and volunteers completed more than 13 million hours of community service last year.
- Scouts earned more than 1.7 million merit badges in 2019, introducing them to a spectrum
of hobbies, careers, and life skills. - In 2019, nearly 900,000 Scouts attended our day camps and summer camps across the country.
- More than 40,000 participants from 150 countries attended the 2019 World Scout Jamboree.
- Since 2017, the BSA has welcomed more than 160,000 girls into Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA.