This guide is designed to give camp directors information and suggestions on how to implement an effective policy for dealing with sexual abuse. While young campers' safety is the prime concern, it is also important that parents be guaranteed a camp environment that they can trust. In carrying out their duties, camp directors and counsellors have a significant influence on young people because, in addition to serving as role models, they are sometimes also their heroes, and frequently their confidants.
As is the case in other settings, the camp community is grappling with the problem of children as the victims of sexual abuse, where either :
- camp workers take advantage of their position to sexually abuse children; or
- camp workers discover cases of the sexual (or other) abuse of children.
Camp directors are liable for the sexual abuse perpetrated by their employees, and would be well advised to find out what insurance coverage they have in such situations.