Benefits & Impact
Discover the lifelong advantages of Scouting, from building resilience and leadership to improving mental health and academic outcomes.
The benefits of Scouting
There are many lifelong advantages that young people get from their years enjoying Scouting with friends and family. Here are some of the opportunities your child will get:
Resilience
In 2018 the Resilient Youth Australia survey of our youth members highlighted some of the benefits of Scouting. The main benefit is above-average Resilience – the strength to deal with the challenges of modern life.
Mental health
The 2016 UK Childhood Study found that former Scouts are 18% less likely to suffer mood or anxiety disorders than non-Scouts, even decades later, as adults. The study said programs like Scouting that support resilience, social mobility, ‘soft’ non-cognitive skills, self-reliance, collaboration, and activities in natural environments may help protect mental health in adulthood.
Leadership
Unlike school or sport, in Scouting every young person gets a chance at developing their skills in leadership. Scouting is literally developing Victoria’s leaders of the future.
Academic outcomes
Scouting is linked with better school results, especially at upper secondary levels. Students do better when they do an extracurricular activity which is organised and structured, with regular programs, increasingly complex skill building, leadership by one or more competent adults, a social network, leadership opportunities, and age-appropriate goals and expectations.
The Scouting Effect
Scouts Australia partnered with Resilient Youth Australia to investigate the impact of Scouting on the resilience of its youth members.
Scouts report higher life satisfaction and greater resilience than their peers.
more likely to hold more hope for a positive future
more likely to forgive others who are mean to them
more likely to feel they make a positive contribution to their community
more likely to have adults who set good examples for them
report to have an overall better life satisfaction than their peers
more likely to trust others
report to have better social skills than non-Scouts
more likely to know they can solve a problem, rather than quit
more likely to enjoy school
more likely to feel they can talk about things that are upsetting them
more likely to give time to help others
more likely to read for fun
report to have a healthier mental state than non-Scouts
more likely to be selected to help with tasks at school
more likely to get along with people who are different to them
report they have a healthy body than non-Scouts
more likely to feel good about themselves
more likely to hold more hope for a positive future
more likely to forgive others who are mean to them
more likely to feel they make a positive contribution to their community
more likely to have adults who set good examples for them
report to have an overall better life satisfaction than their peers
more likely to trust others
report to have better social skills than non-Scouts
more likely to know they can solve a problem, rather than quit
more likely to enjoy school
more likely to feel they can talk about things that are upsetting them
more likely to give time to help others
more likely to read for fun
report to have a healthier mental state than non-Scouts
more likely to be selected to help with tasks at school
more likely to get along with people who are different to them
report they have a healthy body than non-Scouts
more likely to feel good about themselves
[!NOTE] The information and images on these pages are republished from Scouts Victoria’s Parent and Caregiver Guide with permission.