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Summer camp is an important part of the
program of the Boy Scouts of America. It is in the camp atmosphere and in
the outdoor program that the character building and citizenship purposes
of the Scouting program are best taught. It is also at camp that the
responsibilities for caring for the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity
Scouts, and Explorers becomes a 24-hour-a-day duty.
Members of the Boy Scouts of America come from all kinds of
backgrounds, and they bring their experiences to camp with them. In
meeting your leadership responsibilities, you may be confronted with
situations that are alien to your experience. You may be unsure how to
resolve them. Child abuse is one such situation, and regardless of your
back ground, you are responsible for the physical and emotional safety of
those in your care. Be a source of strength and help to the Scouts in your
camp.
Reporting Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation
Child abuse is a crime against youth. Child abuse can involve the
mental, physical, and sexual victimization of children. Most camp staff
and unit leaders are not trained to make judgments about whether a child
has been a victim of any kind of child abuse. The Boy Scouts of America
has made it a policy that the Scout executive of each council as well as
key members of the professional and volunteer staff become familiar with
child abuse and its various manifestations. It is the responsibility of
the Scout executive to identify the reporting requirements in the state(s)
in which the council operates and to establish the council’s reporting
policy accordingly.
If you suspect that a child in camp is a victim of child abuse, you
must
report this to your camp director
or program director. They will discuss your suspicions with you and
possibly talk to the child. In most states, persons with knowledge of
suspected child abuse are required to report the case to the child
protective services agency. Failure to report may carry criminal
penalties. All states provide immunity from prosecution for reporting
suspected child abuse in good faith. Your camp director will be able to
explain these responsibilities to you.
Detecting Sexual Molestation
Some forms of abuse may not leave obvious physical evidence. There are,
however, behavioral signs that may indicate abuse. This is especially true
of children who have been sexually molested. You should be alert to these
signs of sexual abuse:
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Changes in behavior, extreme mood swings,
withdrawal, fearfulness, and excessive crying.
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Bed-wetting, nightmares, fear of going to bed, or
other sleep disturbances.
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Inappropriate sexual activity or showing an un
usual interest in sexual matters.
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Regression to infantile behavior.
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Pain, itching, bleeding, fluid, or rawness in the
private areas. These problems should be attended to by a physician or
nurse.
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A fear of certain places, people, or activities—
especially being alone with certain people.
You should note that some of the behaviors may have other explanations.
A child who comes to summer camp or other outdoor activity is coming to an
unfamiliar environment and may experience homesickness or anxieties that
can lead to behaviors similar to the signs of sexual molestation. Do not
simply discount the behavior as homesickness, however. Immediately bring
it to the attention of the camp director or camp nurse. Even if the child’s
behavior is a result of homesickness, his outdoor experience can be much
more enjoyable if the cause of the distress is addressed. You are in a
position to be a real help to youth placed in your care.
What to Do
At some point, a youth in your care may tell you that someone has
molested him. If this happens, we want you to be prepared to help the
child. Follow the guidelines below if a child indicates that he or she may
have been the victim of abuse or exploitation:
panic
or overreact to the information disclosed by the child.
DON’T criticize
the child.
DO respect
the child’s privacy. Take the child to the camp office, away from other
Scouts. It is important that you discuss the child’s situation only with
the camp director and camp nurse, who will discuss the situation with the
Scout executive and with the child protective services agency in your
state. It should not become the topic of conversation in the staff lounge.
Camp is a hard place to keep information confidential. Your Scouts should
not become the subject of camp gossip.
DO make sure
that the child feels that he is not to blame about what happened. Tell the
child that no one should ask him to keep a special secret and that it is
okay to talk about what happened with appropriate adults. Try to avoid
repeated interviews about this incident. This can be very stressful for
the child.
Precautions Against Accusations of Sexual Abuse or Exploitation
Child abuse is a serious criminal offense. As a camp leader with the
responsibility for caring for children, you may be placed in sensitive
situations making you vulnerable to charges of child molestation. If you
take these simple precautions, however, you need not be afraid of
groundless accusations.
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Have other leaders present when supervising
showers, changing into swimming suits, and other circumstances in which
the child may be dressing or undressing.
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Respect the privacy of the child. Do not become
intrusive in such areas as bodily functions more than is necessary to
monitor the health and safety of the child.
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The child has the right to reject displays of affection if he feels uncomfortable about them. Not every child
comes from a background in which affection is openly displayed. Respect the child’s wishes.
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Protect your own privacy. In some camp living
situations, camp staff live with their campers. There will be a natural
curiosity about boyfriends or girlfriends, personal relationships, and
with some of the older campers, sexual activity. You should use common
sense in discussing these subjects with your campers, and keep private
the details of those areas of your life that are nobody’s business but
your own.
Sexual exploitation should not be confused with physical contacts that
are true expressions of affection. A warm and healthy relationship can
exist between the camper and camp staff if staff members respect the child
and place reasonable limits on their physical interaction.
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