Boy Scouts of America: le verità nascoste

A powerful ninety minute documentary detailing the systemic abuse and subsequent cover ups that went on for decades inside the scouts.

I watched this from the point of view of being a boy scout many years back, a time for me which was one of learning, socialising and fun, you can only imagine the horrors faced by these men.

Some incredibly powerful testimonies from victims, and input from those that were involved in The Scouts also, several conflicts in accounts, very interesting.

If you're able to get through this without sobbing, feeling shocked, or feeling positively sick in your stomach, then I'd argue that something is maybe a little wrong.

It's well made, but one criticism I have, is the deliberate attempt to add a bit of antagonism between to of the interviewees, I didn't think it was necessary given the harrowing topic.

It's an outrageous story, genuinely sickening, it makes you wonder how many other organisations were as rotten at their core.

8/10.

First of all I am appalled by the abuse showed in this documentary. As a parent of a Boy Scout and a group leader and friend of many leaders please let the public realize that not all groups or leaders were involved in criminal abuse of children. This makes me so sad! I believe that every organization has good and bad people involved and in my experience I never saw any abuse. There was much good done and is still being done by this group. While I would never defend the terrible things that did happen please recognize the good done by BSA. Please show the good along with the horrible! There are a lot of good leaders still!

This is not a particularly well done documentary, but I think it is a very important story. It's the story of how the Boy Scouts of America hid abuse from parents and the authorities. It's also the story of how an immensely powerful organization is using bankruptcy proceedings to evade justice. It's also the story of how an organization can claim on the one hand that it doesn't have any problems with abuse and on the other blame any problems it does have on homosexuals. Because, the logic goes, if they can keep homosexuals out of the organization, they can keep abusers out. But that does not make any sense whatsoever. Just think about the logic of that argument for one second, and you'll see how flimsy it is. It's an important story, as I have said, but I think the history of it is much better detailed in a podcast serious called behind the bastards. So if you want it better understanding of this topic you would do better to listen to that podcast about the founder of The Scouting movement Lord Baden Powell.

I'll start off by saying how incredibly brave it is for these grown men to talk about what they survived as children. This was hard to watch, these poor boys really suffered at the hands of such evil men. To think these children's parents were so unaware of what was happening really bothered me, common was your young boy not acting out of character after the sexual abuse he was going through? This is not a series but it took me a few days to finish because that's how much their torment affected me. Again I am so proud of these men who finally get to tell their stories and can hopefully start the healing process if it has not begun.

This is a crucial watch for everyone, and probably a good argument to encourage Netflix to create a free catalogue, where they make their most important and informative documentaries available for public access.

If there is a child in your life you care about and if you want to understand how pervasive abuse is, then please watch Scout's Honour. It is an especially vital watch for parent/carers to boys, so that we can better understand what stops boys and men from reporting their abuse. There was a lot of harrowing testimony - that detailed how boys were targeted, the impact abuse had on their lives and how they were rendered silence by what happened to them.

I could write an essay as to what makes this programme essential, but please just watch it. I cried often, and I am also glad a man like Detective Michael Johnson exists. I am also very proud of the men who shared their experiences with us, they are helping a lot of other children and adults by doing this.