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Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

bbc.co.uk

11–20 of 180 posts

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#11

It might be one of the cases where correlation doesn't imply causation. For an objective study, we would need to assign children to groups randomly. Otherwise, we can miss various obscure selection effects. (For example, if children who are more likely to be scouts, are also likely to be from a particular socioeconomic background).

Totally agreed - very flawed study.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#12

I was in scouts and cadets here in New Zealand when I was a teenager and continue to spend a fair amount of time in the outdoors (I also did Outward Bound when I was 16), and I can definitely relate to the researcher's findings. When you're 2 days walk from civilisation, it's pissing down with rain, and you're cold, wet, hungry, and tired, you get a different perspective on life and the "soft" challenges that you fac…

One thing that I got from my time as a scout is to live and work with people I can't stand, which is something that has helped me a lot since that time.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#13

It might be one of the cases where correlation doesn't imply causation. For an objective study, we would need to assign children to groups randomly. Otherwise, we can miss various obscure selection effects. (For example, if children who are more likely to be scouts, are also likely to be from a particular socioeconomic background).

This is almost certainly the case. Being a scout/guide strongly correlates with parental income in the US at least – I don't know how it is in the UK. But if that is true, the headline might as well be "Being rich provides a mental health boost for life".

Have any data to support that? Anecdotally, the Scout Troops in my area are all fairly blue collar.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#14

It might be one of the cases where correlation doesn't imply causation. For an objective study, we would need to assign children to groups randomly. Otherwise, we can miss various obscure selection effects. (For example, if children who are more likely to be scouts, are also likely to be from a particular socioeconomic background).

This is almost certainly the case. Being a scout/guide strongly correlates with parental income in the US at least – I don't know how it is in the UK. But if that is true, the headline might as well be "Being rich provides a mental health boost for life".

Here in Germany it is the same. Being a scout/guide strongly correlates with high(er) parental income, high(er) education and having no migratory background.

(This is not just anecdotal but are findings that the RDP (Ring of German scout organizations) made a couple years ago.)

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#15
I recently heard some advice from foreign students in the Netherlands, to not mention ones time in the scouts to Dutch co-students.

Apparently it's looked down upon enough that it's best to keep it quiet, especially if you're trying to get a room in a house rented by students.

Can a Dutch person comment on this? Is this true, and if so, why?

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#16

It might be one of the cases where correlation doesn't imply causation. For an objective study, we would need to assign children to groups randomly. Otherwise, we can miss various obscure selection effects. (For example, if children who are more likely to be scouts, are also likely to be from a particular socioeconomic background).

They did try to compensate for such things, but I always wonder if studies can compensate enough. Two households with the same income can have very different socioeconomic status, which may influence both mental health and the amount of scouting.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#17

I was a boy scout in the late '70s and early '80s. Loved it, and although I was too young to care at the time, my son will probably not join because religion. Yes, they have a "non-religious promise" now, but you're still subjected to it. I don't care for it, and my son will (like I did) get to choose for himself but (unlike me) without being forcibly subjected to the propaganda. All that said, scouting has changed s…

Not sure it make sense. How to choose/decide about religion (or the opposite) without knowing about it. It's like refuse to send him to elemental art/math/chemistry class until he choose the university himself. And the another thing, you have enjoyed it (as a whole package), yet you deny this from your child? Sounds a bit strange.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#18

I was a boy scout in the late '70s and early '80s. Loved it, and although I was too young to care at the time, my son will probably not join because religion. Yes, they have a "non-religious promise" now, but you're still subjected to it. I don't care for it, and my son will (like I did) get to choose for himself but (unlike me) without being forcibly subjected to the propaganda. All that said, scouting has changed s…

If it helps, I was an atheist in the Scouts and the only time religion remotely came up was at the swearing in. I just treated it like the promise to the Queen. This was around seven years ago. We also did _lots_ of pioneering/orienteering.

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#19

I was a boy scout in the late '70s and early '80s. Loved it, and although I was too young to care at the time, my son will probably not join because religion. Yes, they have a "non-religious promise" now, but you're still subjected to it. I don't care for it, and my son will (like I did) get to choose for himself but (unlike me) without being forcibly subjected to the propaganda. All that said, scouting has changed s…

[deleted]

Re: Scouts and guides provide ‘mental health boost for life’

#20
post #8

On the flip side I personally found the Scouts to be a safe haven for bullying that, when it happens to a child at the wrong time, will wreck their mental health for years to come.

Yeah, I agree that the Scouts can be a bad place for that kind of things, which is why I think it might not be good for all childrens. (I had been a Scout for a few year and got a lot of benefits from it, but I know that my brother bullied a lot the younger scouts, so this is a real problem)

I help to run a Scout group in the UK. All adult volunteers receive anti-bullying and child safeguarding training. In my experience - bullying is not tolerated in 'these times'.

But for sure, do what you think is best for your kids.

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