MANUAL

CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
UNDERSTAND AND
BE UNDERSTANDING
Once you know about a disability
or a diversity, you will want to
demonstrate understanding and
tolerance. If a youth has a hearing
disability and didn’t stop a game
when you asked, then your
response needs to show how
much you understand.
Walking over to the youth and
tapping him or her on the shoulder
is an appropriate response. Shouting
at him to stop is not. Demonstrate
respect for the dignity of the youth.
The rest of the Section will honour
that respect.
Scouts Canada has several fact sheets in the Volunteer Support Toolkit, such as
working with youth who:
• have Asperger syndrome
• have ADD (attention deficit disorder)
• have Down syndrome
• are hard of hearing
• are visually impaired
Each fact sheet gives a brief description with the associated characteristics and
behavioural traits, including cognitive traits and associated challenges. This list—which
is growing—is just a sample of the disabilities you may encounter in your Section.
These sample sheets let us know how, as Scouters, we can make a difference through
simple interventions and program modifications and where to get help when we
need it. Remember, your Group Committee, Area Service Manager and the Scouts
Canada Online Support Centre are also all good places to turn to for help.
BULLYING
Bullying and harassment are forms of violence. They are not acceptable and are not
tolerated within Scouting.
Bullying and harassment include hurtful, harmful and humiliating behaviours. Bullying
can take various forms. It can be physical, verbal or relational. It can also be direct
or indirect. Bullying can occur in various ways. It can be in person or through other
means (like online, also known as “cyberbullying”).
There are three roles in bullying: the bully, the target and bystanders. It is important
to know that bullying and harassment are about the impact of the behaviour on the
targeted person—that person’s feelings and perceptions, not the intention of the bully
or other party involved.
As a Scouter, you may encounter instances of bullying among youth. Best practice is
to take steps to prevent bullying before it happens.
• Have clear expectations for youth and Scouters that bullying and harassment are
never acceptable. To ensure everyone is aware of these expectations, help youth
build them into the Section code of conduct at the beginning of the Scouting Year.
• Model appropriate and respectful behaviour.
• Encourage youth to tell Scouters if they are targeted by a bully or if they witness
another youth being bullied. Bystanders and peers have a large role to play in
bullying. By speaking up, they can help solve problems and stop bullying.
If you find yourself facing an instance of bullying and you don’t know how to handle it,
report it to your Group Commissioner. You can also refer to Scouts Canada’s Bullying
and Harassment Policy.
COLLABORATE AND COOPERATE
Having a youth with special needs may mean you have to engage parents (ideally)
or outside guest speakers to help the other members of the Section (both youth and
Scouters) understand the disability. Parents know their children better than anybody,
and are usually best positioned to share strategies that they’ve adopted based on
their unique experience. You need to ensure that you collaborate with parents as you
work together for the benefit of the youth. This should be done in a way that does not
embarrass or alienate the youth with special needs.
A youth having difficulty managing steps safely cannot be accommodated in your
regular meeting place; can you do anything about it? Can you have a ramp built?
Can you move downstairs? Can you meet in another location (possibly outdoors)?
Assign two Scouters to assist on the stairs? Access the meeting location another way?
Exhaust all ideas! Work with your Group to try to solve the problem. However, there
may be some cases where the youth may need to join another nearby Group that
would provide an accessible, safer environment.
BE FLEXIBLE AND ACCOMMODATING
There is a tremendous difference between rules and guidelines as they apply to Scouts
Canada. The Two-Scouter Rule is a good example of a rule that we all follow. It is not
a guideline. Guidelines work to give you suggestions and parameters, but they allow
flexibility. If a new Cub Scout must perform the Grand Howl to be invested, and
he or she is in a wheelchair, performing the Grand Howl as expected is not possible.
74 SCOUTER MANUAL—A SCOUTER’S GUIDE TO THE CANADIAN PATH SCOUTER MANUAL—A SCOUTER’S GUIDE TO THE CANADIAN PATH 75