Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America Review

Summary

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America gives a damning account of the wide-scale abuse that the Scouts have repeatedly covered up, and tears down the innocent and positive image many people have about them.

Here is our review of the 2023 Netflix documentary film Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Scouts conjures up a certain image in people’s minds. For many who might have even been in the Scouts, it might be a positive thought, making friends, experiencing the outdoors, camping, and taking part in many of the different activities that the Scouts put on.

One image that likely doesn’t come to mind is sex abuse. And that shouldn’t be the case, especially as the Scouts deal with thousands of children nationally. But the Netflix documentary Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America highlights the anger-inducing truth that for decades, abuse has been covered up by what should be a trustworthy organization.

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America Review

The documentary tells the story that from the Scout’s humble origins in the UK, they have always struggled with keeping out bad actors that would do their members harm. It helps audiences understand that this isn’t a new problem and one people in the Scouts knew about.

But high-level leaders at the Scouts didn’t think they had an abuse problem; they had a marketing problem. They believed that if stories of abuse got out, it would cause immense damage to their brand.

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So, they hid this information and kept it confidential to prevent it from ruining their image. It’s a despicable and cruel act of cynical marketing, showing that the Scouts cannot be trusted.

This aspect is put front and center, quickly explaining that it’s not a case of a few bad apples, as some people might say. The Scouts failed to perform basic background checks and allowed repeat offenders back in.

But this isn’t to forget the devastating human angle. Boys across decades had their lives heavily impacted by the ineffective safeguards to protect them, and the documentary features interviews from victims, which are difficult to listen to, but their stories must be heard.

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These tales of wilful mismanagement and harrowing abuse paint a comprehensive and damning account of the activities of what should be the most wholesome group in America.

The documentary wants viewers to be angry that something like that was not only allowed to happen once but is something that has torn through the lives of thousands of people.

Is Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America good or bad?

This documentary tells an anger-inducing tale that an organization that operates with children at this scale would cover up some of the most horrible crimes. It tears down the youthful and positive image many have about it and tells a story that must be seen.

Is Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America worth watching?

The Netflix film is a harrowing and insightful watch about how a child-centric organization harbored a dangerous secret since its very beginning and is a documentary worth the time to see.

What did you think of the 2023 Netflix documentary film Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America – how would you review it? Comment below.