Boy Scouts also need to comb more recent records

Editorials

October 5, 2012

Boy Scouts also need to comb more recent records

By The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss Associated Press Fri Oct 05, 2012, 08:04 AM CDT

JACKSON, Miss. — Add the Boy Scouts of America to the list of trusted institutions that failed sexually abused children.

The Scouts’ past behavior, like that of the Catholic Church and Penn State University, shows how easily child molesters can get away with vicious crimes and how easily respected institutions can convince themselves that keeping crimes a secret is acceptable.

From 1970 to 1991, the Boy Scouts failed to report hundreds of suspected sexual abusers to authorities and in some cases “urged admitted offenders to quietly resign,” sending them off with clean recommendations, according to an analysis by the Los Angeles Times of the Scouts’ once confidential files. The Scouts’ failure meant predators were free to stalk and abuse more innocent children, and some did.

The Scouts say that what matters most are its policies today, not files going back decades. And that’s true. The organization has sound policies now, including a requirement that two adults be present at Scouting activities. The Scouts also now require mandatory reporting to authorities by anyone who suspects abuse. But since the pre-1992 records were forced into the open as a result of litigation, the Scouts have not released their more recent records or combed through those files to cull and report suspected abusers.

This is troubling because the older records, which came to be known as the “perversion files,” teach a timeless lesson. The Scouts, like other institutions, often saw molestation as more of a public relations problem than a crime. These institutions tried to ensure that molesters wouldn’t abuse children on their turf but had little compunction about sending them off to abuse others. ...

So why haven’t the Scouts gone back through their post-1991 files to bring more abusers to justice? Because, a spokesman says, the files “are an incomplete record set that are not used to track reporting.”

That’s not much of an excuse for an organization that offers a crime prevention merit badge. The badge requires Scouts to learn how to recognize child abuse and when and how to report a crime. Until recently, the organization’s top leaders would not have qualified to earn it.

Online:

http://www.clarionledger.com

Text Only

Editorials

Bryant tantrum on education major standards was misguided
By the (McComb) Enterprise-Journal:
That was quite a tantrum Gov. Phil Bryant pitched at the College Board recently, criticizing its members for voicing concerns about his effort to increase standards for education majors.

March 29, 2013
Legislature to City Hall not sure move
Five Mississippi House members are running for mayor this year, and while name recognition might provide some advantage, lawmakers have had a mixed record in trying to go from the Capitol to City Hall.

March 27, 2013
Nation’s economy improving, but state’s still lagging
By The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger
It’s been a long time coming, but finally there are bright economic signs nationally that seem here to stay a while.

March 23, 2013
Armed teachers dangerous idea for school safety
By (Columbus) The Commercial Dispatch:
The Mississippi House of Representatives sent back to the Senate a bill that would arm teachers.
Before sending it over, the House, by a 70-46 vote, amended the Senate’s bill in two major ways. Actually, the House did more than amend it. They neutered it.

March 22, 2013
Not every bill grabs headlines
The first two bills that Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed during the 2013 legislative session dealt with money.
House Bill 19 gave more cash to the agency that coordinates a program to put all emergency offices under the same digital communications system. House Bill 20 moved money from the car tag reduction fund to the Budget Contingency Fund. Lawmakers use the contingency fund to cobble together cash for the overall state budget.

March 20, 2013
Transparency key to ‘best watchdogs’ oversight
By The (Tupelo) Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal:
Rep. Jerry Turner’s effort to require open meetings of water associations and notice of meetings in which members of boards of directors will be elected remains alive in the Legislature. It should be enacted in the interests of transparency in the running of the nonprofit associations providing water for a significant percentage of Mississippi’s population.

March 16, 2013
Miss. makes news, good news, this time
By The (Columbus) Commercial Dispatch:
Generally, when Mississippi makes national news — especially of late — it is not the sort of notoriety we welcome. ...
So March 3, when Mississippi again made national news, we braced ourselves for the embarrassment that was sure to follow.
Only this time, it wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about.
Imagine that.

March 15, 2013
Ag’s legal expenses top $2.4M for year
An ongoing lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s foster care system has cost the state at least $4.4 million in legal expenses and fees since 2008.
Expenses continue to rise as the plaintiffs and the state work toward a telephone status conference scheduled for April 25 with U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee. The price tag this year is $1.35 million.

March 13, 2013
Ag’s legal expenses top $2.4M for year
An ongoing lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s foster care system has cost the state at least $4.4 million in legal expenses and fees since 2008.

March 13, 2013
Higher pay best way to recruit better teachers
By The (McComb) Enterprise-Journal:
A centerpiece of Gov. Phil Bryant’s proposals to improve education in Mississippi is raising the requirements for college students to major in the education field.

March 9, 2013
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

Boy Scouts also need to comb more recent records

Site Map

Contact Us