Its summertime! School’s out and there is a good chance that your kids will be spending some time at summer camp. Whether its sports camp, adventure camp, music camp, or any of the other amazing arrays of camps available to kids these days, most camps are equipped to understand and address bullying. As parents and caretakers, here are some tips to help have a conversation with your child and with camp staff if you suspect bullying may be taking place.
Find out about camp policies on bullying:
- Ask the camp director and counselors about the procedures that are in place and how parents are informed.
- Ask how camps proactively address the issue.
- Ask how campers are supervised between activities.
Talk to your kids:
- Discuss bullying with your child and keep those communications lines open. Read these tips to learn how to talk about bullying.
- Know the warning signs.
- If bullying does occur, support your child.
In addition to honing those sports skills and learning how to navigate nature, camp can be a wonderful time for your child to develop and practice important social skills such as self confidence, and making friends. Want to know if your camp is accredited? Visit the American Camp Association website.
To learn more tips about understanding bullying at camp, read our tip sheet - PDF.