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Time to ‘Spring’ Into Action to Keep Kids Safe This Summer

Cara Hansen beKidSafe, Latest News, News Releases , , , , , , ,

NEWS RELEASE
March 26, 2025
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com 

Time to ‘Spring’ Into Action to Keep Kids Safe This Summer
Center for Child Counseling’s CampSafe® Training is designed to protect campers and staff from child sexual abuse.

It’s that time of year again when caregivers need to ‘spring’ into action and plan how they will fill nearly three months of no school this summer. Every year, about 26 million children attend roughly 15,000 day and overnight summer camps across the country. The search for the best camps is in full swing, but how do parents ensure camps are properly vetted for safety?

The facts are: every nine minutes a child is a victim of sexual abuse and assault (rainn.org) and 90% are abused by someone they know and trust. American Camp Association reported that 28% of calls to its Camp Crisis Hotline in summer 2023 were allegations of abuse, including: camper-to-camper abuse, concerned suspicions of abuse at home, and staff-to-camper allegations. 

Florida-based nonprofit Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) recognizes the many benefits of kids attending summer camps. To help uphold the integrity of the life skills gained at camp, the Center wants to ensure every camper in the United States and across the globe is protected and safe from abuse with CampSafe®–an online training designed to provide camp leadership and staff with the awareness and knowledge needed to prevent child sexual abuse. 

The goal is for all staff–including counselors, administrators, supervisors, dining and health personnel, volunteers, and board members–to arrive at camp with the same strong foundational knowledge of child sexual abuse prevention and awareness. 

For summer 2024, more than 12,000 camp staff across 135 camps in 40 states and 19 countries participated in the CampSafe® training program. More than 20,000 campers were kept safe. 

“Empowering every caregiver in every camp setting with knowledge of this topic provides a confidence level that best protects all staff and campers. Focused training for staff and volunteers both breaks the cycle of child sexual abuse and highlights a topic too often avoided out of fear and/or discomfort,” said Cherie Benjoseph, CFCC director of national outreach and education and creator of the CampSafe® curriculum.

The program was created for both young adults, ages 18-26, as well as seasoned staff, to take the topic seriously but not instill fear. The training promotes compassion toward campers as staff become fluent in the language of safety while providing comfort, aide, and access to supervisory staff for guidance.

According to Yasmine Youssefi, assistant supervisor of day camps at Camp Zoo – Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, “We started using CampSafe® last summer, and my only regret is not starting it sooner! We used to do our abuse prevention in house, and I found using CampSafe® to be much more effective. It aligned really well with our behavior/group management training and provided specific examples and scenarios to make expectations for conduct clear. I like how they emphasize the importance of modeling behavior and boundaries. I used to be a teacher, and have done many abuse prevention trainings.Personally, I found CampSafe® to be the most inclusive of diverse backgrounds, and it was competitively priced–under one rate we were able to train all our staff, representatives from other departments, and volunteers. We do year-round programming, so we were even able to train our new hires for the fall/winter/spring as well. We plan to renew it for next summer as well.”

From setting healthy boundaries to ensuring the entire camp team has a consistent safety protocol, CampSafe® training provides animated scenarios, interactive learning, and clear safety language for staff. Director training modules include: interviewing and background check protocol; child protection policy and procedures; supervising around the issues of child sexual abuse prevention; in-person follow-up training to provide during pre-camp week; links to state resources; establishing healthy boundaries; ice breakers for counselors and campers; sexual harassment; letters to parents and staff; and post-testing for certification. New this year, the director certification training also includes a module regarding sexual abuse prevention with campers with various special needs.

“Training focused squarely on sexual abuse prevention sends a message that your camp has ‘zero tolerance’ for sexual abuse. This powerful message helps deter staff applicants who may have undesirable motives,” added Benjoseph. 

The CampSafe® program was developed by professionals with expertise in sexual abuse prevention and training. The Center for Child Counseling team partnered with experts in learning and development, using the most up-to-date online method. The training is designed to build confidence and knowledge for all camp personnel, gently but thoroughly, before camp begins.  

According to data collected from the Center, staff’s ability to identify a camper who is at risk for child sexual abuse went from 49% confidence to 97% after the training. More than 75% of participants reported feeling safer that their camp is taking action to protect the staff and campers.

“As I completed the CampSafe training on child sexual abuse, I gained a deeper understanding surrounding this issue and the critical role that prevention, awareness, and intervention play in protecting children. The course empowered me with the knowledge and tools needed to create a safer space for children, and it reinforced the importance of ongoing vigilance and education in preventing abuse,” stated Antonio C., staff member at Lake of the Woods camp in Michigan. 

CampSafe® has the educational endorsement from the American Camp Association and is an Approved Youth Protection Training for the state of Texas. The training can be provided to all camp staff for a nominal fee, ranging from $300-$900 depending on the number of staff members being trained. 

CampSafe® is part of Center for Child Counseling’s beKidSafe initiative of providing prevention education for all adults who work with children.

Renée Layman, CEO of the Center, believes “all children deserve the same protection from abuse at summer camps as that which we advocate for and provide training for within schools and child care centers during the school year. Our goal is make it easy for all adults to become trauma-aware and recognize and stop childhood trauma and abuse in its tracks.”

Before a parent or caregiver officially enrolls their child in summer camp, do the proper vetting and ask the question, “Does this camp take the personal safety of my child seriously?” For a parent’s guide on vetting a summer camp for safety, visit bekidsafe.org/vettingcampforsafety. 

For camp associations, camp directors, parks and recreation departments, and school districts interested in learning more about how to be proactive in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse at your day or overnight camp, visit bekidsafe.org/camps or email bekidsafe@centerforchildcounseling.org. 

Leading into summer 2025, so far 80 camps across the country have signed up for the training–including 13 in Florida with four in Palm Beach County. Limited CampSafe® scholarships are available to camps for underserved youth in Palm Beach County.

Interview availability:
Cherie Benjoseph, LCSW, CFCC director of national outreach and education and creator of the CampSafe® curriculum.

About Center for Child Counseling
Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

About Cherie Benjoseph, CFCC director of national outreach and education and creator of the CampSafe® curriculum:

Cherie is an expert in the field of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention. She has practiced social work since 1989. After receiving her MSW at Boston University, she worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in multiple school and non-profit settings in the Northeast and the state of Florida. In 2009 she founded KidSafe Foundation, a non-profit focused on child sexual abuse primary prevention. Cherie grounds her work in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention using a public health model. She is convinced that educating children and those who live or work with children about child sexual abuse and trauma prevention will strengthen families and protect kids, breaking the cycle of abuse. Presently, as Director of National Outreach and Education for the Center for Child Counseling, Cherie works with national and local leaders to define and improve the ever-changing issues around protecting children from harm. For more than a decade, she has presented nationally at conferences and symposiums. She loves to have conversations about how to talk with kids about personal safety, and she believes a safe society—free from child sexual abuse and exploitation—is attainable. Through Cherie’s leadership, several state-of-the-art programs have been created including Stay KidSafe!™, a personal safety curriculum for children, and CampSafe®, an online training program for camp staff, now programs of Center for Child Counseling. Cherie serves on the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. She is a mom of two (grown and flown). She enjoys qigong, working with clay, travel, and time with her family when she’s not out advocating for the safety of all children.

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Talking with Children About Sexual Abuse

renee@centerforchildcounseling.org beKidSafe, Blog, Fighting ACEs PBC, KidSafe, Latest News

Tips for Parents and Caregivers

By Cherie Benjoseph, LCSW and Renée Layman, LMHC

Sexual abuse can be a sensitive and difficult topic for us as caregivers to talk with our children about. For adults it can bring up our greatest fears, and in many cases trigger our own memories. But we do not have to feel powerless, we can take many steps that will help strengthen us as adults, not just our children, to lessen the risk of our children being victimized by Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Starting these steps early (although it is never too late to start!) and using developmentally appropriate language and strategies can empower and protect families.

In this blog, we'll provide some starting points on your journey to making your family KidSafe smart. We will explore appropriate ways for speaking to children about sexual abuse, focusing on key principles and strategies supported by experts in child psychology and sexual abuse prevention.

  1. Trusted Adults Need to Get Educated First: What is it exactly that I am trying to prevent? What are the chances this could happen to my child? I am a survivor, is this impacting how I parent?
  2. Start Early and Keep it Age Appropriate: Research shows that initiating discussions about personal safety from an early age can help children develop a positive understanding of body safety and boundaries. The words we choose are important. When we are speaking to children we do not use the words child sexual abuse at all. In fact, we teach all of body autonomy, consent and personal safety from a place of fun, not fear. It's essential to tailor conversations to the child's age and cognitive abilities, using language and concepts they can comprehend. For younger children, discussions may focus on basic body safety rules, while older children can engage in more detailed conversations about consent and healthy relationships.
  3. Personal safety is Part of Everyday Parenting: Just like you teach car safety, kitchen safety, pool safety, personal safety comes up in our natural parenting. Regularly reinforce important messages about body safety, boundaries, and the importance of speaking up if something feels wrong. Much of the learning opportunities occur between siblings and other family members. This is an excellent opportunity for children to practice using their voice to say “no”, or “I want to stop”, to a touch (tickling, a hug, roughhousing). Children who learn to speak up, and have the support of their grown-ups when they do, feel valued. This is how we build skills of resilience.
  4. Promote Healthy Sexuality: In addition to discussing boundaries and safety, it's important to promote healthy attitudes towards sexuality. Teach children to respect their bodies and the bodies of others, emphasizing the value of consent, empathy, and communication in relationships. By fostering a positive and open attitude towards sexuality, children are better equipped to recognize and reject harmful behavior. Many adults were raised to feel shame about our bodies, how it functions and that it is not okay to ask questions. We need to change this attitude as we raise children today. No shame.
  5. Teach Correct Names for Body Parts: This is a simple yet very powerful step to take to strengthen the safety of your child. Using anatomically correct names for body parts helps reduce confusion and empowers children to communicate clearly about their bodies. Predators are looking for kids who do not have an open and trusting relationship with their caregivers. Children who are comfortable with using the proper names for their body parts, and can comfortably go to their parent and say, I have a rash on my vulva, in the same tone as they would say I have a rash on my arm, are empowered. They are being raised with respect for their bodies, which leads to a strong sense of body autonomy. This knowledge also reinforces that certain body parts are private and should not be touched by others. If a child says, “Don’t touch my chest.” (or any other private part), it puts the offender on alert that this is an educated child and is not going to be an easy target.
  6. Establish Touching Boundaries and Privacy Rules: Help children understand that they have the right to set boundaries around physical touch and personal space. Encourage them to assertively say "no" to unwanted touch and respect others' boundaries as well. Establish clear privacy rules in the home and reinforce the importance of respecting privacy both at home and in public settings. Have fun practicing these skills in your home. Each families rules and understanding of when to establish privacy for children will be different. Listen to your children, they will often indicate when they are ready for more privacy. Respecting their boundaries is key.
  7. Address Perpetrator Tactics: Educate children about common tactics used by perpetrators to keep them silent, such as secrets, tricks, and threats. Encourage children to trust their instincts and speak up if someone makes them feel uncomfortable, especially if they've been told to keep it a secret.
  8. Educate Beyond "Stranger Danger": Teaching a child stranger danger does not teach them any safety skills. The reality is they need to learn about people’s behavior. Sometimes we refer to these people as tricky people. These are difficult concepts for children to understand. The bottom line is that we must create an environment that your children can talk to you about anything that makes them confused, worried, or afraid. And we need to be ready to listen and take appropriate steps. Research shows that approximately 90% of sexual abuse cases involve perpetrators known to the child, such as family members, friends, or caregivers. Emphasize the importance of speaking up to a trusted adult about anything that is bothering them, no matter who it is that is making them uncomfortable.
  9. Address Vulnerable Situations: Discuss potential vulnerable situations with children, including online interactions, social media, and peer pressure scenarios. Teach children how to recognize and respond to unsafe situations both online and offline, emphasizing the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult if they feel at risk. Play the What if? Game. (Does your school have the Stay KidSafe program?).
  10. Give Permission to Tell: Above all, empower children to speak up and seek help if they experience or witness someone hurting someone or inappropriate behavior. Let them know that they will not get in trouble for disclosing information and that they have the right to protect their bodies and seek support from trusted adults.

Having open and honest conversations about sexual abuse is essential for empowering children to recognize and respond to unsafe situations. By starting early, using developmentally appropriate language, and reinforcing key messages, parents and caregivers can help children develop the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe and advocate for themselves.

It's crucial to create a supportive environment where children feel comfortable asking questions, expressing concerns, and seeking help when needed. With education, communication, and support, we can work towards preventing sexual abuse and promoting the well-being of all children.

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Nurturing Resilience: How Trauma-Informed Teaching Transforms Student Behavior and Learning

renee@centerforchildcounseling.org beKidSafe, Latest News

The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma on student behaviors and learning cannot be overstated. However, by adopting a trauma-informed approach, teachers can become powerful agents of positive change in their students’ lives. This approach focuses not only on understanding the effects of ACEs and trauma but also on nurturing Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) to foster resilience and facilitate learning.

Understanding the Impact of ACEs and Trauma

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass a range of potentially traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, and exposure to violence. Extensive research has shown that ACEs can have far-reaching effects on a child’s emotional, psychological, and cognitive development. Students who have experienced ACEs often struggle with emotional dysregulation, difficulty concentrating, and forming secure attachments. These challenges can manifest as disruptive behaviors, disengagement, and poor academic performance in the classroom.

Trauma, whether stemming from ACEs or other traumatic events, can further exacerbate these issues. Trauma often activates the brain’s stress response system, which can lead to emotional and behavioral challenges in students. Hyperarousal, hypervigilance, and difficulty forming trusting relationships are common responses to trauma.

The Role of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)

The story is not entirely bleak. Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, can significantly mitigate the impact of ACEs and trauma. PCEs encompass nurturing relationships, supportive environments, and opportunities for skill-building. By creating a foundation of love, care, and resilience, PCEs equip children with the tools to cope with adversity and to thrive despite challenges.

Teachers as Agents of Change

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience for students who have faced ACEs and trauma. By adopting a trauma-informed approach, educators can positively impact student behavior and learning in the following ways:

  • Fostering Safety: Creating a safe and supportive classroom environment is paramount. This means offering consistency, clear expectations, and a sense of physical and emotional safety.
  • Building Relationships: Nurturing positive teacher-student relationships helps students feel valued and secure. It is vital to acknowledge their unique needs and provide opportunities for trust to develop.
  • Emphasizing Emotional Regulation: Teaching emotional regulation techniques can empower students to manage their emotions effectively. These skills are essential for both behavior management and academic success.
  • Encouraging Flexibility: Understanding that students’ responses may be shaped by their past experiences, teachers can be flexible and accommodating. This flexibility allows students to regain a sense of control over their learning.
  • Promoting Mindfulness and Self-Care: Introducing mindfulness practices and self-care strategies can assist students in coping with stress and trauma-related triggers, improving their emotional well-being.
  • Collaboration and Professional Development: Schools can benefit from providing teachers with ongoing training in trauma-informed practices and creating a collaborative environment for sharing insights and best practices.

Teachers hold the keys to unlocking the potential of students who have faced ACEs and trauma. By embracing a trauma-informed approach, educators can mitigate the negative impact of adversity, promote resilience through positive childhood experiences, and transform student behavior and learning.

Recognizing the power they possess to create safe, nurturing, and responsive classrooms, teachers can become beacons of hope in the lives of students who have faced challenging experiences. In the process, they not only foster academic growth but also nurture the emotional and psychological well-being of the next generation.

For resources and learning, visit www.bekidsafe.org or our page at www.centerforchildcounseling.org/traumainformedcare. Interested in bringing training to your school or community? Simply complete the Training Request Form and we will reach out to you to customize an experience for your staff.

Coming Soon!

In a rapidly changing world, the need for resilience in our children has never been more critical. At Center for Child Counseling, we believe that every child has the right to grow up in an environment where they feel safe and nurtured, with the opportunity to thrive.

With this vision guiding us, we are excited to introduce our “A Way of Being with Children: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Building Safety and Resilience in Elementary School” manual, especially written and designed for elementary school educators.

In the manual, we focus on information, knowledge, and trauma-informed strategies to help educators improve their interactions with children through understanding behaviors using a trauma lens. Activities enhance learning and provide concrete ways to improve teacher-child relationships, safety, and resilience.

The manual also includes fun classroom activities to promote expression of feelings, self-regulation, and coping!

 

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