Youth Camp Sexual Abuse: Rights & Options

In this video we’re addressing a critical topic that concerns parents: sexual abuse at youth and summer camps. While camps should be a place for fun and learning, they can unfortunately lead to harm and sexual abuse of children.

Before enrolling your child in any camp, you can do thorough research to help understand what safety precautions the camp takes. You can read reviews online including on social media, ensure they have all proper licenses, and inquire about their background check and vetting policies for employees and volunteers.

It’s also crucial to have age-appropriate conversations with children before they attend camp. Discuss the importance of body autonomy, what grooming looks like (as this is often the first step perpetrators take and many young children and adults do not recognize), and reassure them that if anything they don’t like happens they can tell you or report to another adult immediately.

If your child tells you about an incident of harm, you should create a safe space for the child and first prioritize their needs. Depending on their age, children might not have the specific words for what happened but you should write down everything they tell you.

From there, we highly recommend visiting the child’s doctor so they can be evaluated and the medical team can create documentation.

From there, we recommend reporting the abuse to the camp authorities – including the camp’s board of directors and/or executives to ensure the whole organization has visibility into your report. We highly recommend sending all communications in writing such as email to ensure there is a paper trail. All conversations should ideally be held over email or if phone calls or in-person meetings are requested by the camp, you should request to record the conversations.

From there, you may also want to report to law enforcement. This process can be very scary for children so we highly recommend ensuring they are aware of this process and understand what might happen.

If the camp does not investigate, does not remedy the situation, or retaliates against you or the child for reporting, you may have the right to to file a civil lawsuit to seek monetary compensation for the harm that happened.

This can provide recourse for your child and prevent future incidents by holding the responsible parties accountable. Consulting with a lawyer who specializes in such cases can help you understand your options and navigate the legal process.

If the harm happened years ago and no report was made, you may still have legal rights and options depending on the local laws including the statute of limitations.

Helping Survivors works with a variety of law firms around the country who specialize in helping survivors of all forms of sexual abuse – including youth and summer camp abuse. If you reach out to us, we can help you understand your rights and options and connect you with an experienced lawyer today.