How Badgefully Promotes Youth Safety in Scouting

How Badgefully Promotes Youth Safety in Scouting

Scouting has always aimed to build strong, capable, and ethical leaders. For over a century, millions of young people have benefited from the values and structure the program offers. However, the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America) has also faced serious failings in its duty to protect youth from harm. These failures led to widespread legal action, bankruptcy, and a necessary reckoning with the organization’s past.

The abuse cases and systemic gaps in oversight revealed the risks that can exist when youth protection protocols are ignored or insufficient. While Scouting America has made major improvements in safeguarding young people, the need for safe, modern, and accessible programming remains—especially for Scouts in areas with limited access to merit badge counselors.

The Problem of Access and Safety

In many parts of the country, Scouts face a dilemma. They want to continue advancing but lack access to reliable, qualified merit badge counselors nearby. For Scouts in rural areas, underserved communities, or small troops, this can mean relying on unfamiliar adults, sometimes meeting in private settings without sufficient supervision.

These situations create real risk. Even with Youth Protection Training and background checks in place, the logistics of merit badge counseling can make full compliance difficult. For families who are new to Scouting or unaware of the program’s history, the idea of sending a child to meet with an unknown adult can be deeply uncomfortable.

Badgefully’s Commitment to Youth Protection

Badgefully was built to address two challenges at once: improving access to merit badge instruction and strengthening youth safety through a digital-first approach. It offers a safer, more consistent way for Scouts to earn badges, especially those required for Eagle rank, without compromising Scouting’s core values.

Here’s how Badgefully promotes youth protection:

• All instruction is delivered through self-paced, pre-recorded video courses. Scouts can complete their merit badge requirements on their own schedule, without meeting one-on-one with an unfamiliar adult. This eliminates many of the most common risks associated with traditional merit badge counseling.

• If a Scout chooses to schedule a live meeting for additional help, two-deep leadership is required. This means that no Scout is ever in a virtual meeting alone with an adult. A second registered adult is always present, and parents are encouraged to attend.

• All instructors are registered merit badge counselors in good standing with their local councils. They are required to complete BSA Youth Protection Training and pass the necessary background checks.

• There is no direct, unsupervised communication. All messages, assignments, and updates are handled through the Badgefully platform, eliminating the risks of unmonitored texting, emailing, or social media interaction between Scouts and counselors.

• Parental visibility is prioritized. Parents can monitor progress, view course materials, and remain fully informed about what their Scout is learning and how they’re engaging with the program.

A Safer, Smarter Way to Earn Merit Badges

Badgefully isn’t just a convenient alternative to traditional counseling—it’s a system intentionally designed around modern youth protection standards. For Scouts in small troops, rural areas, or families that prefer more structure and visibility, it offers a solution that aligns with both safety and educational quality.

The failings of the past cannot be forgotten, but they must lead to better practices. Badgefully is part of a broader effort to ensure that Scouting remains not only a force for good—but a space where young people can grow, learn, and lead in the safest possible environment.

Safety is not a feature—it is the foundation. And every Scout deserves nothing less.