Personal boundaries are different for all of us and can change depending on the circumstances. We scouts are only human. And even in the Scouts, there have been times when two people have fallen in love and kissed. Or simply walked around with a happy grin, in which someone else was not entirely uninvolved. However, it has also happened that scouts have found themselves in situations that made them feel uncomfortable, unpleasant or even caused mental or physical pain. When people come together, boundary violations can happen both unintentionally and knowingly.
“No means no” is often easier said than done and even if everyone wants the others to do well, it is sometimes not easy to work out what that means. Especially in groups where people have known each other for a long time and the relationships are close, as is often the case in the Scouts (and it’s often nice!), it can be difficult to stand up for yourself and others. Sometimes individual boundaries cannot be clearly articulated. Out of fear, guilt, shame, pride or simply ignorance, people sometimes overstep their own boundaries or fail to name boundary violations.
What is and is not perceived as an offence is subjective and depends on the person and how they feel. Personal boundaries are always individual and different. There is no need to discuss personal boundaries because they are different for everyone. It is therefore necessary to be sensitive and to respect your own boundaries as well as those of others!
Sexuality should not be a taboo subject, as otherwise there is a risk that the associated personal boundaries cannot be openly discussed. For us, an open culture of dialogue and a sensitive approach to personal boundaries are an important way of preventing abuse and boundary violations.
The PInC (Prevention and Intervention Crew) deals with everything related to sexuality, sexualised behaviour, boundary violations and abuse in the Confederation.
What do the PInC and the contact persons do?
Counselling for groups and clan leaders, tribe leaders and in the event of incidents or situations in the context of scouting
Contact person for everyone in the PBN in the event of boundary violations
Information about counselling centres
Organisation of awareness on all our big trips
The best way to contact us is via our e-mail addresses pinc@pbn.de. We will be happy to send you our telephone numbers if you wish.
You can find further information at https://nexus-hamburg.de/