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Scouting America Readies Kids To Protect Themselves Online
In his days as a Scout, Justin Williams was always drawn to outdoor skills. He excelled at building fires and tying knots. He struggled more with identifying plants, and, even today, he says he still hasn’t picked up the knack for it. But as he got older, the leadership skills he was learning every step of the way stood out to him.
“Those are all important skills, but the thing we’re really coaching is how to work within a team, be good citizens for the future, and make good, ethical decisions,” he says. “I thought I was just having fun. But I was really learning a lot of leadership skills that have benefited me throughout my life.”
Today, as scout executive for Scouting America’s Palmetto Council in South Carolina and den leader for a group of second graders, Justin is amazed at the technology available to young children. There’s even technology that could have helped him identify plants as a Scout.
As a result, while Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, still emphasizes the importance of getting outside and working with others, the organization is increasingly recognizing the need to meet kids where they are with technology.
Just last year, it introduced its first merit badges for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Others, like the Know2Protect badge, are specifically aimed at teaching Scouts about the importance of personal safety online.
“While we know there are a lot of benefits to technology, we also know that, unfortunately, there are people online who do not have our kids’ best interest at heart,” Justin says. “We need to help our kids recognize who is an ally, who is trying to do them harm, and what to do when they encounter those types of people.”
The New Normal
For Scouting America’s Chief Safeguarding Officer Glen Pounder, that work starts with the adults around each Scout. His office in Irving, Texas, provides training for all Scout leaders around the threats kids may face online—from cyberbullying and body image issues to pornography and sexual exploitation.
“1 of our key mottoes is be prepared for life. There’s no life these days without the online space,” he says. “Our new normal as an organization is that we have to be comfortable always looking for what is next, particularly with technology. I think it’s about landing the message in a way that is not creating fear. That this is just part of preparing for life.”
Starting from kindergarten, Scouting America encourages parents of new Scouts to have their own conversations with their children about general safety practices. As kids earn their annual ranks, they must complete 6 core components, 1 of which is additional safety training. Starting in 4th grade, that training includes lessons on what information they should not give out in online settings.
In addition, Scouting America partnered with the Department of Homeland Security in 2024 to build an awareness campaign about the risks kids face online. Scouts and their families can join in-person training sessions and activities or online presentations to learn how to prevent and report online abuse, earning them an exclusive Know2Protect patch.
Glen’s hope is that more widespread awareness and training within Scouting America troops can even help protect kids who are not part of the program.
“There’s a ripple effect outside of scouting. Each Scout has friends, siblings, and other non-Scouts around them that they share things with,” he says. “So, if you’ve got a million trained Scouts out there, it makes it much harder for anyone who’s thinking about abusing their position of trust to get away with it.”
Moving Forward Together
While preventing these abuses from happening in the first place is the top priority, Glen emphasizes it is just as important for kids to feel comfortable speaking with an adult, whether it’s a parent or a Scout leader, if they do find themselves in 1 of these situations. If not, the outcome can be tragic.
Justin cites the example of an Eagle Scout in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the last few years who took his own life. He had connected with someone online and shared compromising photos, only to have those photos used to exploit him.
“He didn’t think there was any other option, so he decided to take his own life,” Justin says. “When you think about the perfect kid, this is the kid that would come to mind. So, this isn’t something that only targets dysfunctional families. Criminals are getting smarter every day, and we just can’t take anything for granted.”
For Glen, that comes down to preparing kids for dangerous situations, trusting them to use the tools available to them, and offering understanding if they find themselves in trouble.
“If we haven’t empowered these kids correctly, then the fear stays with them. We need to take that fear away,” he says. “Our focus is on prevention first. But then, if something happens, take a breath, and then we’ll move forward. We know what to do, we’re going to get there. You’re not alone in this.”