By COLlive reporter
A number of Chabad summer camps throughout the US and Canada, as well as in the UK, have taken an online camp abuse prevention program.
ASAP, a program developed by The Friedberg Foundation, has spent millions of dollars to fund therapy for hundreds of victims of abuse in the past few years, and are well aware of the ins and outs of this important topic, from all sides of the issue.
The training was offered free of charge by ASAP, a program developed by The Friedberg Foundation which has been running a campaign for camp safety with practical and accessible professional materials developed specifically for frum camps.
“Parents are stepping up to the plate, no longer being passive about this issue and really getting involved to demand absolute safety for their children,” officials at ASAP say.
They said many camp directors are taking bold steps to ensure that no child is ever at risk of losing their innocence due to the more relaxed environment that camp affords.
The program is developed out of Israel. Social workers, therapists, and professional experts have been involved in and reviewed the program.
Some of the camps on board include CGI Toronto, Alabama, Detroit, Morristown, CGI Overnight Camp Toronto, Cheder Chabad, Kindercamp, CGI Jewish Uncamp, Beth Rivka Day Camp, and Maimonides.
ASAP says its camp guidelines are thorough and practical, and include items like safety protocols for camp directors, animated training videos and an exam for counselors, as well as information for parents.
“The goal is to keep every child safe and eradicate the root causes of abuse of our children by eliminating the situations that feed such abuse in the first place.
“The camp guidelines and the requisite background checks of all camp counselors and personnel will weed out potential abusers and send a clear message to counselors, campers, and parents that the community is a lot more educated and aware than in the past and that will serve as a powerful deterrent to those who would harm our children that sexual abuse is no longer tolerated.”
For more info, visit www.ASAP.care.
This program doesn’t address the real problem. Victim blaming and cover ups are the problem. When “leadership” recognizes that it pays more to protect Jewish children than Judaism then most of our problems will become solvable. Until then we’ll see more of the same educational seminars that make for nice headlines but practically don’t solve the problem.
Seriously take a look at it. There’s a parent’s guide as well. Something for everyone so why don’t we all get involved and keep our kids safe?! My kid’s going to CGI Detroit and they have it
What you are suggesting is keeping children in the dark, and if something happens all is good because he knows to tell his parents NO! WRONG! Children need to know the threat and should be able to recognize at an eary stage when someone is acting creepy! BEFORE THE DAMAGE IS DONE!
AGREE that is why children should not be informed about such things thay should be told if you are touched inappropriately you should tell you’re parents
If you really want to protect your child from abuse, you need to give him/her the time, love and understanding that they need. If they get it at home, they are far less likely to fall into it and if they do, they will be comfortable speaking to their parents. The modern Jewish parent wants to outsource their children’s upbringing. This child who lacks his/her basic emotional needs (i.e. parent texting while child talking to them), is at risk of falling prey to abuse and not talking about it afterwards. We have to stop looking for tricks and patches, and… Read more »
Out of interest was abuse always dealt with before camp? I was an innocent 11 year old when I was a victim of major abuse in overnight camp, not to many years ago. . . I think the camp knew about it and suspended programs next year as a result, although I can’t be too sure. I wish upon no one what I’ve been through (the abuse continued after camp) please educate your children, I wasn’t. If you see something wrong I beg you please report it, in my case there was someone who saw but chose to remain silent,… Read more »
The real problem is those who PROTECT the abusers. This effort seems well-intentioned although it’s too little too late. Those who protect abusers need to be dismissed from their positions. “Weeding out” abusers doesn’t solve the problem of cover-ups and victim blaming.
I really hope CGI Parksville is one of the “some” on the list. Every overnight camp should be doing this!
For making children safe!! This is so impossibly and it is saving lives. Wishing all the camps successful and safe summers.
Thank you to all involved in keeping our kids safe!
Just wondering if those talks discussed how to deal with mikva for campers…in some camps the boys are pushed/coerced/threatened to go even when they are uncomfortable with it. As a camper I never heard of such a thing but now it is as accepted and expected as negel vasser!
Hoping for a safe summer for all!
One abusive practice in camps that I hope is modified is the mishnayos baal peh “quota” for color war. Kids are forced to learn equal anounts even if they have a shvache memory so the kods with good memories finish in 8-9 minutes while the shvach kids are toiling for an hour+ as they watch in kost demoralized way their friends playing catch or whatever. They ought to ask the child what he can reasonably do in 15 minutes and that shpuld be his “quota”.
As a staff member this summer in a overnight camp the second a child hears the word abuse or molestation be harasses the staff if you do this to me I will tell my parents that you touched me inappropriately so therefore I am not a fan of this program