Boy Scout Sexual Abuses

Nearly 115 million boys and young men, since 1910, have been members of BSA, or the Boys Scouts of America.

Boys from an early age, and throughout their teen years, have pledged for a long time the motto, “Be Prepared.”

This organization, unfortunately, which strives to instill solid values in the male youths of our nation possesses a tragic secret.

The Boy Scouts of America, since the 1920s, has had knowledge of its young members being targeted as victims of sexual abuse by volunteer pedophiles, who were supposed to be respected scout leaders.

After the organization was founded in the year 1910, in less than no time sexual abuse incidences by scout leaders were exposed.

It began in the 1920s when the organization started to keep confidential files on scout volunteers who’d been accused of abusing boys sexually within the Boy Scouts of America.

The organization identified pedofiles quietly in their ranks via an “Ineligible Volunteer File.” This was an attempt to keep these individuals out of the Boy Scouts of America.

These files, decades later, would be referred to as the “Perversion Files.” During landmark lawsuits against the organization, the files were made public.

Although these “Perversion Files” for nearly 90 years had been kept within the Boy Scouts of America, however, it’s only recently that they were released to the public.

The organization’s clear knowledge of sexual abuse is the most abhorrent evidence with no inclination to bring justice against the perpetrators.

Under the guise of refusing pedophiles from joining the organization, these “Perversion Files” only proved the Boy Scouts of America had knowledge of the abuse.

Sadly, no one did anything to report the abuse to the parents of the victims, or the proper authorities.

This silence and knowledge were clearly the most deleterious aspects of this horrendous sexual abuse history within the organization.

The comprehensive documentation which the Boy Scouts of America concealed over the decades proves that the organization was vastly ware of this dilemma. It knew about the assault which was inflicted on these boys and young men.

By 1935, an estimation of nearly 3,000 men were identified, due to abuse of children sexually, as “ineligible volunteers.” 


During the 1980s, the Boy Scouts of America launched its Youth Protection program. The problem of sexual abuse within the organization was finally addressed actively.

Before 1994, scout leaders reported more than 2,000 sexual abuse cases, although it is likely the number of victims is higher.

With sexual abuse occurrences going back 90 years, many victims remained silent, and without a doubt refused to report the sexual abuse they sustained during childhood.

Those who have come forward, fortunately, have helped to disclose these tragic secrets that can help safeguard other young men from any sexual abuse.

You may know someone who suffered from sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America.

Contact us for a free consultation or call Anzalone Law Firm PLLC, at: 603.548.3797