Does your kid's camp have a sexual abuse prevention policy?

It’s going to be summer before we know it, and for many kids, that means attending camp. There are a wide variety of day camps, sports camps, sleepaway camps and other residential summer programs available, and many of them provide wonderful opportunities for children. But it is dangerous to assume that all camps are equally safe for kids. As a pediatric emergency medicine physician, I have treated children with camp injuries ranging from mosquito bites and poison ivy, to stick impalement and near drowning. But the camp risk that probably concerns me the most is one that parents often do not consider.

As a sexual abuse prevention advocate, I am particularly concerned about the risk of sexual abuse at camp.

Camps are generally less regulated than schools. There is quite a bit of variability from state to state in terms of licensing and oversight. For example, while a state license is required to operate a day camp in Massachusetts, this is not the case in Vermont. And even within a state, different types of camps are classified inconsistently: While day camps do not require state licensing in Vermont, residential camps do.

Many parents don’t realize how common the sexual abuse of children is. At least 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys are sexually assaulted before age 18, with perpetrators almost always being adults children know. Research shows that child predators often choose jobs that allow them access to kids. Unfortunately, camps offer that access.

There are other risk factors, too. Because employment at camps is seasonal, potential predators have the opportunity to move around frequently. This is a good strategy to avoid detection because it means that colleagues, parents and other observers are less likely to notice patterns of suspicious behavior over time. And camps’ hiring practices, employee training and oversight and policies designed to prevent sexual abuse vary greatly, from the nonexistent to the robust.

We know that child predators target children they perceive as having low parental involvement, but at sleepaway camps, low parental involvement is the norm for all children — at least temporarily. And separating children from their peers and family and engaging in one-on-one activities is a significant red flag for predator behavior. Those opportunities are also more plentiful at camp.

I am not trying to scare you. And my point is not that it’s dangerous to send kids to camp. Most camp experiences are positive ones.

Parents should inquire with camp directors about sexual abuse prevention and specifically ask, “What policies have you instituted to protect kids from sexual abuse at camp?” The answers to this question will be telling. If somebody responds that staff undergo background checks and that’s the entirety of their answer, it’s inadequate. Background checks are certainly a good thing to do, but they generally only reveal whether someone already has a criminal record. Most child predators operate for years before being convicted of a crime, if they’re ever caught at all. Additionally, many camp counselors come from other countries on work visas, making background checks even less reliable.

All camp staff should participate in mandatory sexual abuse prevention training. There should be written policies specifying appropriate conduct for staff and preventing campers and staff from being alone in one-on-one situations. Any potentially sensitive situation that adults supervise, such as when kids are showering, changing clothes or going to sleep, should always involve adults supervising in pairs.

There should also be clear protocols enabling staff to report any concerns they might have about a colleague’s behavior, with clear guidelines for how such reports will be handled. In addition, camps need to provide campers with clear messaging around body safety, boundary violations and how they can safely and confidentially disclose any problematic experiences.

I am not trying to scare you. And my point is not that it’s dangerous to send kids to camp. Most camp experiences are positive ones. My brother attended a boys’ camp every summer as a child and loved it so much that he went on to work there for years as a counselor, and ultimately even brought his wife back one summer to jointly serve as the camp doctors. But I do think parents need to be aware of the risks, conduct proper due diligence and talk to their kids about sexual abuse prevention, just as they speak to them about other safety concerns, such as water safety and tick checks, before camp begins. And they need to do it every summer.

Discuss the risk of sexual abuse openly and honestly with your children. Describe the warning signs of potentially problematic interactions with adults, how that might play out at camp, and offer them options for how to respond if they ever feel uncomfortable.

Remind your child that adults should never instruct kids to keep secrets and that if an adult tells a child not to share something with anyone else at camp, they should report them to another adult they feel comfortable with. Kids should know that adults singling a child out for gifts or special treatment might seem flattering, but can be a red flag. It is important that children pay attention if they notice that a counselor touches them more than they would expect, even if it seems accidental, or if anyone seems to be walking in on them or watching them while they change or shower. Finally, kids should know that in the context of camp, no adult should be “teaching” kids about sex or sharing sexual content with them.

Obviously, responding to these situations becomes more challenging if a child is at sleepaway camp, and so having a plan before a child leaves is particularly important. This may seem like overkill, but we all need to be prepared for and practice responding to emergency situations; this is why schools have fire drills and flight attendants review how to use oxygen masks.

In the majority of cases, summer camp is a fun, enriching experience. But educating yourself and your kids will help ensure that their camp experiences lead to the happy memories we want for them.