Sexual Abuse within the Boy Scouts of America
Over 92,000 claims of sexual abuse have been filed against the Boy Scouts
Posted November 16, 2020 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
Over 92,000 claims of sexual abuse against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) were filed in Bankruptcy court by the November 16th, 2020 deadline. The scope of these alleged cases of sexual abuse is astounding and far surpasses the number of claims made against the Catholic Church . While researchers are still studying the available files, there is evidence that much of the abuse involved sexual grooming . Sexual grooming is the deceptive process by which a would-be abuser, prior to the commission of sexual abuse, selects a victim, gains access to and isolates the minor, develops trust with the minor, and often other adults in the minor’s life, and desensitizes the minor to sexual content and physical contact. Post-abuse, the offender may engage in maintenance strategies to facilitate future sexual abuse and/or prevent disclosure.
Given that six out of 10 children who experience sexual abuse are abused by someone who is known to them but who is not a family member, it is suspected that many individuals became affiliated with child-serving organizations such as BSA to get more access to children. Furthermore, given that activities such as overnight camping trips and excursions are central to scouting, those who engaged in the abuse had opportunities to abuse the youth more easily without parental detection. It is also important to note that many of these sexual grooming behaviors are subtle and can be difficult to detect until after the abuse is perpetrated.
This has several implications for policy and prevention:
The numbers of claims emerging against the BSA highlight how prevalent a problem childhood sexual abuse is. It also further underscores the importance of developing prevention policies and strategies that can be applied on an individual, familial, community, and organizational level to prevent sexual abuse.
For more information, see: Jeglic, E.L., & Calkins, C.A. (2018). Protecting Your Child from Sexual Abuse: What you Need to Know to Keep your Kids Safe. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at John Jay College who studies sexual violence prevention.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.