Youth camps and tent camps are popular holiday activities. How well are children protected from attacks and abuse on these trips? What should parents look out for when making a selection?
A recent investigation by the SWR investigative format “Vollbild” has uncovered abuses at a commercial holiday camp provider. It involves the sexual abuse of a five-year-old, but also alcohol and drug consumption.
The whole documentary is available here.
Many tent camps and children’s camps are also offered by non-commercial organizers in Rhineland-Palatinate. Church organizations in particular organize many summer camps. What is being done here to protect children? We spoke to representatives of the CVJM-Westbund (which also includes parts of Rhineland-Palatinate), the Association of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts (BdP) and the Association of German Catholic Youth (BDJK) in the diocese of Mainz. High school graduate Milena Jeffries, a supervisor at the Catholic Young Community (KjG) Liebfrauen in Worms, also told us about her experiences.
Certificates of good conduct are mandatory
During the full-screen research, it was noticed that in the case described, no extended certificate of good conduct was required from the future supervisor. However, for holiday camps offered by independent youth welfare organizations, there is a clear requirement from the Social Code (Book Eight): supervisors must present an extended certificate of good conduct – the Boy Scouts, CVJM-Westbund and BDJK confirmed to SWR that this requirement is also met. In the case of the Boy Scouts, these certificates of good conduct are then submitted to a law firm for inspection and review as standard, explains Annalena Kretschmer from the BdP.
Help with sexual violence in childhood and adolescence
Whether you are a relative, a victim, a friend or a confidant: Here you will find help and information about sexual violence in childhood and adolescence: The Help portal can be reached free of charge and anonymously by telephone at: 0800 22 55 530The telephone is manned: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Further information from the abuse commissioner on the subject can be found on the Website “Don’t push it away”.
Those affected can also find help at the “Nummer gegen Kummer” (number against grief). The children and youth telephone is anonymous and free of charge and can be reached at 116 111 Monday to Saturday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Helpline “Violence against Women” is a nationwide counseling service for women who are experiencing or have experienced violence. 116 016 She is available around the clock. Online consultations are also offered.
First training, then support
High school graduate Milena Jeffries has been working as a supervisor with children and young people on camps at the KjG Liebfrauen in Worms for two years. She completed a one-day prevention course. This helped her a lot, and she learned to keep her distance.
The proximity and distance course has helped me enormously in my relationship with the children, even if in the end you always get thrown in at the deep end a bit.
Milena Jeffries, supervisor
Anyone who wants to go on camps as a team leader for the YMCA, Boy Scouts or Catholic Youth must complete certain training courses, just like Milena Jeffries. The umbrella organizations often set minimum standards for this. Jendrik Peters from the specialist team for protection at the YMCA-Westbund says: “Prevention training is compulsory for everyone so that everyone is sensitized to the issue.”
In addition to the prevention training, the CVJM Westbund also expects team members to have the “Juleica”. This youth leader card is proof of a 30-hour qualification in the field of youth work.
What is the Juleica?
Juleica stands for youth leader card. This is a standardized ID card for employees in youth work throughout Germany. It proves that the holder has acquired certain qualifications in the field. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the courses must be at least 30 hours long. With the Juleica, volunteers also receive a thank you for their commitment, as they generally do not receive any remuneration for their work. With the Juleica, the holder receives discounts, for example when visiting the swimming pool or going to the cinema.
With the Boy Scouts, the training is more comprehensive from the start. The first basic training begins at the age of 13 or 14 and lasts a whole week. There are further one-week qualifications on this basis.
Training leads to more mindfulness
Anja Krieg works for the Association of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) in Mainz, in the Political Education/Prevention Department. From her perspective, the training courses are bearing fruit. She has experienced an incredible commitment from young people to creating an atmosphere in which everyone can feel comfortable and safe.
The people there talk to each other about their limits, about appropriate educational behavior. And they get in touch if they have any questions.”
Anja Krieg, BDKJ Mainz
For example, during her own time at the camp, night hikes were a natural part of the compulsory program, “even for children who were very afraid of them.” “Today we are thinking about how we can make night and darkness a positive and voluntary experience” and how those who are left behind can be adequately looked after.
Comprehensive protection concepts
The training courses provided are part of comprehensive protection concepts that the non-commercial providers have drawn up for themselves and their member associations. In addition to prevention, intervention also plays an important role. What should be done if a child or a team member reports an incident? Who are the right people to contact, what are the reporting channels, what are the telephone numbers?
As part of their protection concept, the Boy Scouts have been setting up the “intact” system for several years. This is an intervention team that helps as soon as incidents are reported. Depending on the case, external experts such as the women’s emergency hotline are also consulted when sexual abuse is involved.
Annalena Kretschmer works in the “intakt” working group in the Rhineland-Palatinate regional association. She explains that “behavior that violates boundaries is regulated jointly with the regional executive board of the BdP.” As soon as there is a problem with aggression, the federal executive board is brought on board.
The Boy Scouts have made a lot of progress, but there is no standstill. Kretschmer reports that the protection concept is currently being revised. In addition, a new alcohol code was passed at the last federal assembly in May.
Protection concepts: theory and practice
Training, emergency teams, telephone numbers and reporting chains: all of this is comprehensively compiled in the protection concepts. But the question is how patient the paper is. How well is the theory received in the tent camp of every small community?
For children, summer camps are great fun. Parents should take a close look at safety concepts and rules beforehand and discuss them with their children. (Symbolic image)
Annalena Kretschmer from the Boy Scouts’ intervention team believes that the system has now become well established in the Rhineland-Palatinate regional association. Her team receives frequent inquiries and is often asked for advice. But that took time: “People first have to understand that it’s okay if I speak up or report something, that it’s not a betrayal of my friends.”
“The issue must be given priority”
There is obviously progress in protecting children and young people during their free time. However, Jendrik Peters from the CVJM-Westbund warns: “The issue must be important at all levels and given priority. We won’t do this for 2 or 3 years and then a new Brenner issue will come along.” The task of protecting and helping people who are entrusted to us remains.” That is why we need mandatory protection concepts and more human resources, namely full-time ones.
Supervisor Milena Jeffries says self-critically: The proximity and distance training focused on her reflecting on her own behavior. When asked about interventions if an assault by a team member occurs, she says:
To be honest, I hope that something like abuse by a team member never happens. I would be a little overwhelmed.
Milena Jeffries, supervisor
She would like to see better qualifications and information for herself. Milena also believes that training courses need to be updated: “There are people who did their training at 17 and are now 30.”
Parents need to look closely and ask questions
As long as there are no uniform quality standards to which Parents need to look closely at the details, if your child wants to go on a leisure trip. This starts with the presentation of the extended certificate of good conduct of the supervisor.
Anja Krieg from the Association of German Catholic Youth advises parents to take a close look at the offers beforehand: “I would take a very close look at who I am sending my child with, what kind of group it is, how they work.” “The teams often have an Instagram account, it’s worth looking at it,” Krieg continues. It’s not just about the program, but also about the protection concept and the rules that apply to leisure time. “This should be discussed thoroughly with the child. They should know the framework. And then be allowed to have a say in whether they want to take part,” Krieg continues.
“We are shocked by what happened”
Another important question: “What if my child definitely wants to go home and how can he or she contact me?” It must be clear what exit options there are: And in the end, says Krieg, you have to ask yourself: “Do I have a good feeling about the answers to all the questions I have asked myself?”
Further information on how parents can find out about different offers can be found on the website of Reisenetz, a professional association for children’s and youth travel.
Broadcast on Tue., 13.8.2024 19:30, SWR Aktuell Rheinland-Pfalz, SWR RP
