Camp Season
Dear Friends,
As we head into the summer months, our kids are excited to spend time outside swimming, laughing, playing, and learning at camp. Summer camp is often a welcome escape from school and from responsibility. With camp comes a whole world of new environments, new people, and new relationships. Whether you are a parent, a counselor or a friend, promoting summer camp safety is a vital ingredient to a happy summer.
At BCAC, our summer is packed with trainings both in the Baltimore community and around
the country to teach counselors and campers the importance of facilitating safety at camp. Our goal is to ensure that each time we train a camp, counselors and campers alike are aware of camp safety. We focus on boundaries, what constitutes a healthy relationship, and what to do if something seems wrong.
Mandatory reporting and speaking up is the most important aspect of how to prevent and intervene in any potentially harmful situation. Counselors and campers are taught to always report suspected abuse, both to their superiors and to police. Whether verbal, physical, or sexual, abuse reporting could save not only the life of a child, but the lives of many others. While not every instance is abuse, bringing attention to inappropriate actions by a counselor or a camper allows an opportunity to change a person’s
behavior, and to increase supervision. At BCAC, we are going camp by camp to make sure all campers and counselors are in the safest place they can be.
What can you do to promote summer camp safety even after the camp day ends? Let your child know that they can talk to you about anything that may happen at camp, even if they are unsure about it. Let them know you are always ready to listen to them, and be available to your child if they have questions. Teach your child the correct names for body parts so they can accurately describe injuries, illness or abuse. Make sure your child understands that they are in charge of their own body, and that they can say no to any situation that makes them uncomfortable.
Be present in your child’s day to day life by being aware of who
their counselors are, the activities they participate in and how they feel about their camp. Trust between yourself and your child can make all the difference.
BCAC is a constant resource for camps, parents and children. By working together, we can make sure we all do our best to protect our kids.