Church Camp Sexual Abuse: How to Get Help
If you or someone you know experienced sexual abuse while at a church camp, you have rights and options to seek justice, help, and healing.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
Key Takeaways
- Sexual abuse at church camps might be committed by fellow attendees, camp staff, and volunteers. The abusive conduct ranges from grooming to sexual assault.
- If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse at a church camp, you have rights and options available, including reporting the abuse to the camp authorities and law enforcement.
- Additionally, you might be eligible to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator and the church camp. With a civil suit, you can pursue financial compensation for the harm suffered and help prevent similar incidents from happening to others.
Is Church Camp Safe for Children?
Young people who attend church camps deserve a fun and safe environment. Whether at a sleepaway church camp or a day program, attendees should be able to enjoy the experience without fear of harm.
However, over the last few years, there has been a rise in reports of church camp incidents, including physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Harm can occur at any type of church camp and is often underreported by those affected.
While other campers might be responsible for the harm, camp employees or volunteers more commonly commit the abuse. Perpetrators might include minors under the age of 18 or adult predators who deliberately seek employment or volunteer opportunities at church camps to gain easy access to potential victims.
While staff members and volunteers associated with church camps must generally undergo background checks and other safety screening, this is not always the case. Plus, the background check system in the United States has many flaws that allow known and unknown perpetrators of harm to still be able to work around children.
Church camp abuse can include physical, mental, and sexual abuse. While Helping Survivors’ mission is to help individuals impacted by sexual abuse of all forms. Often, the harm individuals experience is intersectional. Thus, we will discuss a variety of forms of harm that can occur at church camps.
Church camp abuse can involve the following behavior and more:
- Grooming
- Inappropriate comments or jokes
- Inappropriate touching
- Detaining individuals, including the use of restraints
- Food deprivation
- Voyeurism, or watching or recording bathing, changing, or other activities without consent
- Indecent exposure
- Molestation, such as touching private areas
- Requests to produce child sexual abuse material or CSAM
- Sexual assault
- Rape
Those who experience sexual abuse, especially children, often exhibit behavioral changes. Some warning signs of church camp sexual abuse may include:
- A noticeable shift in behavior or mood
- Avoidance of certain people or specific individuals
- Bedwetting or accidental soiling
- Difficulty walking, sitting, or standing
- Remarks or concerns about their own or someone else’s genitalia
- Discussions or knowledge of sexual topics that are inappropriate for their age
- Sleep disturbances
- Hesitance to return to church camp or the religious institution in general
- Signs of depression and anxiety
If you or a loved one has experienced any form of sexual abuse at a church camp, help and healing are available. Depending on the circumstances, the options may vary. However, the survivor should have control over how to proceed. It is not the child’s fault, and they will need support in whatever choices are made moving forward.
So, are church camps safe? It depends, although there are steps you can take to evaluate the church camp before sending your child, such as the following:
- Research the news and social media for any reports of abuse at the camp.
- Request information regarding how the church camp evaluates employees.
- Ask for information about the background checks employees and volunteers undergo.
- Have age-appropriate conversations with children to ensure they feel comfortable telling you or another trusted adult immediately if something does happen.
Church Camp Sexual Abuse: Rights and Options For Those Impacted
Children subjected to sexual abuse often delay disclosing it for years due to factors such as shame, guilt, and fear. Thus, it’s essential to create an environment where children feel safe and comfortable reporting any inappropriate behavior by an adult or another camper.
If a child does report something, it is vital to make them feel immediately protected, supported, and believed. It’s important to ensure the child feels heard and receives mental health support, not only during the initial report but also throughout the investigation.
Children may freeze or withdraw when made to report the abuse to law enforcement, undergo medical exams, or participate in other processes. This can be especially true if these procedures are not clearly explained or the child feels they lack control. It’s crucial to reassure the child that they are not in trouble and that you will be there to support them.
Before officially reporting the incident, consider having the child visit a medical provider or counselor to ensure they feel supported and receive any necessary medical care. The child’s needs may vary based on age, gender, and the specifics of what occurred. These visits will also document that you sought medical assistance and took steps to address the abuse.
There are three primary options for addressing sexual abuse at a church camp:
- Reporting the incident to the camp or religious institution
- Notifying law enforcement
- Filing a civil lawsuit against the church camp and the perpetrator
Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible to pursue all of these options.
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse at a church camp and are considering any of these options, contact an organization like Helping Survivors before taking action.
We can help guide you through the processes, help you protect your rights when reporting the incident, and connect you with an experienced, trauma-informed sexual abuse attorney to explore filing a church camp sexual abuse lawsuit.
Report Sexual Abuse to the Church Camp
Whether or not the individual is still at the church camp, reporting to the organization can create an important paper trail documenting the harm. Depending on the size of the camp, there may or may not be an established reporting process in place. However, if no formal process exists, sending an email can be the most effective way to ensure that all communications are documented.
You will want to ensure your report is not disregarded or ignored. In general, you can do this by going through the official reporting channels and forwarding this information to the church camp’s highest officials or board members. Again, we recommend all communications be in writing. If phone conversations are requested, ask for permission to record the conversation.
After filing a report, you may want to ask explicit questions regarding how the church camp will handle the report. Important information to solicit includes the following:
- The immediate actions the church camp and religious organization will take
- Whether the alleged perpetrator will be suspended from all camp activities pending the outcome of the investigation
- The camp’s procedure for investigating sexual abuse allegations
- Whether the staff member or volunteer underwent a background check and the types of screening performed
- The camp’s overall plan for addressing the situation
If the camp requests a call or meeting, you should consult an experienced camp sexual abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Ideally, you should do this before the meeting so a lawyer can attend it with you to protect your child’s rights.
If the camp fails to respond, investigate, or take steps to prevent future harm, you should speak to an experienced church camp sexual abuse attorney as soon as possible. Helping Survivors works with a network of reputable law firms around the country. They offer free consultations, meaning there are no upfront costs.
Report Church Camp Sexual Abuse to Law Enforcement
Reporting to the camp or religious organization should trigger an internal investigation, which may result in the individual’s termination from the camp.
However, the camp will likely not report the incident to law enforcement to avoid jeopardizing its operating license and other scrutiny.
Reporting abuse to law enforcement will trigger a criminal investigation. Many individuals have common misconceptions about reporting to law enforcement. For instance, an individual cannot personally press charges against someone else. You have the right to file a police report with law enforcement. They will investigate the case based on applicable laws—including the criminal statute of limitations—and available resources. The information gathered is then provided to prosecutors, who decide whether to file criminal charges and what charges to pursue.
To prepare a child for reporting to law enforcement, help them practice by writing down everything they remember about the incident and use age-appropriate language to explain what they can expect. If a child is too frightened or doesn’t fully disclose the details to law enforcement, it could jeopardize the investigation and the ability of prosecutors to file charges.
Reporting to law enforcement should only be done with the child’s informed consent. While various factors influence the state’s ability to press charges, law enforcement typically takes reports of child sexual abuse very seriously.
File a Civil Lawsuit for Church Camp Sexual Abuse
Individuals impacted by church camp sexual abuse and their families may be entitled to file a civil lawsuit against the camp, the religious organization, the perpetrators, and those who enabled the harm.
The church camp’s misconduct or negligence may have contributed to the sexual abuse by allowing a known perpetrator to have access to children. The camp may have overlooked warning signs of potential abuse. In addition, negligent supervision and hiring practices could serve as grounds for filing a lawsuit against the camp.
Additionally, the camp might be liable for its actions or inactions after receiving an abuse report. For example, if you reported the sexual abuse allegations to the camp and it failed to investigate, did not take appropriate action against the alleged perpetrator, or retaliated against you or the child for reporting, you could be entitled to compensation from the camp.
The ability to file a civil lawsuit for church camp sexual abuse depends on several factors. One key factor is the applicable civil statute of limitations in the jurisdiction where the abuse occurred.
The statute of limitations sets a deadline for initiating legal action. In many states, the statute of limitations for filing a sexual abuse lawsuit is just one year from the date of the incident. This is why reaching out to get help as soon as possible can be critical to your ability to seek justice by filing a civil lawsuit.
You might be unsure if filing a civil lawsuit makes sense or is possible. However, the statute of limitations makes it urgent to speak with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. A knowledgeable sexual abuse attorney can analyze your situation, determine whether you are eligible to file suit, explain what the process entails, estimate the potential settlement value, and answer any other questions.
In a church camp sexual abuse lawsuit, the survivor or, if they’re still a minor, their family pursues monetary compensation for the harm. This compensation may include coverage for mental health care costs, medical expenses, loss of income, and other financial impacts of the harm. Survivors may also pursue non-economic damages to address the impacts on their lives, such as diminished quality of life, pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
Depending on state laws, the lawsuit may also be eligible for punitive damages, which aim to punish the wrongdoers and deter future harm.
Sexual abuse lawsuits can often be filed under seal or anonymously, using “Jane Doe” or “John Doe” to protect the victim’s identity, although this also depends on the state’s laws.
Helping Survivors partners with law firms across the country that provide free consultations for church camp sexual abuse cases. These firms handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs, and they only receive payment if and when you win.
If you have any questions about reporting youth camp sexual abuse or filing a civil lawsuit, please contact us today.
We are here to listen and advocate for you.
Church Camp Abuse in the News
Over the last few years, several cases of church camp sexual abuse have made news headlines. These reports highlight the survivor’s stories, the issues within the organizations that allowed or enabled the harm to happen, and the church camp sexual abuse lawsuits filed by those impacted.
Kanakuk Christian Camp Abuse
Kanakuk is a church camp founded in 1926 in Southwest Missouri. Over 500,000 children have attended the camp, according to the organization’s website. The organization operates multiple coed camps, including the K-Kountry, K-West, K-1, K-2, K-Seven, a family camp called K-Kauai, and other affiliated camps known as Kids Across America.
Over its years in operation, there have been multiple high-profile cases of sexual abuse by Kanakuk staff and associates.
Pete Newman, a former Kanakuk camp counselor turned director, was convicted of child sexual abuse after dozens of young boys came forward alleging grooming, sexual assault, and rape. One judge stated he had at least 57 victims. He is currently serving back-to-back life sentences in a Missouri state prison.
Several of Newman’s victims, including Logan Yandell, have now filed lawsuits against Kanakuk and its affiliates.
Other individuals employed or associated with Kanakuk have also been accused of or convicted of sexual abuse, including Lee Bradberry, Matthew Harmon, Corbie Dale Grimes, Matthew Jonas Overstreet, Robert John Morgan, Robert Shiflet, Chuck Price, Paul Green, Ed Ringheim, and William French Anderson.
Investigations and lawsuits against Kanakuk are ongoing. However, the organization’s camps remain operational. If you have experienced sexual abuse while attending a Kanakuk-affiliated camp, please reach out to us today to learn more about your rights and options.
Bradley Earl Reger
Bradley Earl Reger has volunteered as a nurse and counselor at the Juneau Echo Ranch Bible Camp and other religious organizations since the 1970s. He was indicted in August 2023 on federal sexual abuse charges. Authorities allege that he abused more than a dozen boys and young men—often under the guise of medical care—during camping trips or church activities.
Federal investigators believe there could be hundreds of victims and urge those who may have been impacted to come forward by filling out an online form.
These are just two examples of church camp sexual abuse. Like clergy sexual abuse and youth pastor sexual abuse, church camp sexual abuse is a widespread and ongoing issue. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse while at any church camp program, you have rights and options. We can help you understand how to take the next step.
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