The Northern Lights Council, BSA, is conducting an in-person Youth Protection Training session open to the public. Any adult who works with youth may attend free of charge, including Scout leaders, church youth group leaders and service club members.

The training will be held Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Big 4 Scout Camp, Minot.

The training is being offered because child sexual abuse continues to be a significant topic of the national conversation. According to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six boys and one in four girls will be victims of some form of sexual abuse before they turn 18 and 80-90% of offenders are family members or close family friends.

Child safety experts have repeatedly called Scouting’s youth protection policies and practices the “gold standard” for youth-serving organizations. Nationally and locally, Scouting shares its expertise with a wide variety of other organizations. Scout leaders and parents make all kids safer as they apply our youth protection training and practices in other parts of our community.

The Scouts organization reports it has always had a strong record compared to the larger community, but since the implementation of two-deep leadership in 1987, sexual abuse has been practically eliminated in Scouting. The organization states it works diligently toward total elimination by ensuring that programs incorporate the latest and best youth protection practices.

To register for the training, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOIAuqIihjigpjiRgP9dYLycvF MUQCUPpejOA2tGUFYg4Umw/viewform.