Relationships, Intimacy, Privacy, and Consent at Camp Alonim
Camp is often celebrated as a place where close relationships of various kinds can develop. While this sometimes includes relationships that become romantic, camp must also be a place where everyone is safe and where everyone in the community can live apart from the pressures and expectations that frequently exist outside of camp. This includes staying in their own bunk and their own bed at night. This also includes never being in the living area of a different gender without specific permission from a Head Counselor.
Below are a series of guidelines and protocols around how Camp Alonim views healthy relationships and affirmative consent during Camp Alonim sessions and programs.
While the focus of the Camp Alonim experience is not developing romantic relationships, and sexual activity is not permitted at Camp Alonim, we recognize that romantic relationships may develop at camp. As part of Camp Alonim’s commitment to creating a mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically safe environment for all campers, teenage campers may be spoken with about consent and engaging in affirmative consensual relationships by appropriate staff members.
What if a camper reports that they have been a victim of sexual misconduct?
- Reporting can be made to a camper’s bunk counselor, program advisor, a director, or the Community Care Specialist.
- Camp Alonim will take the following steps:
- Speak with all campers involved separately.
- Contact parents/guardians with campers involved to make them aware of the allegations.
- Director Team and/or Community Care Specialist (LCSW) will meet with each camper separately again just in case there is anything else they want to share.
- Director Team and/or Community Care Specialist may be obligated to contact child protective services and/or local law enforcement agencies depending on the nature of the accusation.
- Director Team will make a disciplinary decision.
- Parents/Guardians and campers involved will be informed of next steps and any disciplinary actions for their camper only. We do not share disciplinary consequences for other campers or with the larger community, and will only share information when it is integral to keeping a camper safe.
What if my child is accused of sexual misconduct?
What if my child is accused of sexual misconduct?
- The camper will be spoken to and given the opportunity to share their side of what happened.
- Parents/Guardians will be contacted and informed of the allegations with their camper present on the call as appropriate.
- Director Team and/or Community Care Specialist may be obligated to contact local law enforcement agencies depending on the nature of the accusation.
- The camper will have an opportunity to speak to their parents/guardians and will have an additional opportunity to share information with staff.
- The camper may have their parents/guardians be a part of all conversations if they choose.
- Based on the information shared by all campers involved, Camp Alonim leadership will then meet to decide if any disciplinary action will be taken.
- This decision will be shared with parents/guardians and the camper only.
Any camper that is found to have engaged in sexual misconduct may be subject to consequences including dismissal from the camp program and more.