Managing Camper Behavior

[Dave]

Source/Credit: JCC Camps at Medford Staff Handbook (http://katzjcc.org/camps/Staff-Forms/Hand-Book-2006.pdf)

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Love them One By One
Build relationships with all your campers from the start. It makes life so much
easier later on! Spend at least five minutes a day with each camper.

Love them Together
Treat all campers equally. Review the rules and expectations with them in advance.
Be sure to differentiate between those which are non-negotiable rules with specific
consequences and those which are really expectations of the group. For example, a
rule is “don’t leave the camp grounds… keep your hand to yourself… stay with the
group at all times, etc.” Expectations would include “be friends with all campers…
help each other have fun.

ESTABLISHING EXPECTATIONS
Review the expectations with your campers. Ask them questions and find out what
they expect. Ex- “In our group we expect that each person will respect the rights
of everyone else.” “In our group we value everyone’s opinion… no put downs.” “In our
group we expect that everyone will help with cleanup.”

Safety First: Let then know that you expect them to behave in a way that is
safe for them and others, physically and emotionally.

REINFORCE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
Catch the Campers Doing Something Right:
Tell them, “That was great, you being very responsible.”

Do not reward behavior that you want to disappear. Distinguish between an incident
and a pattern. If it is a one-time happening, don’t ignore it, but take it easy. If it’s
a part of a pattern, let the camper know exactly what you’re seeing and why it’s
unacceptable behavior. It is important to keep your division head informed about
problem campers.

Don’t get trapped: Help them deal with their behavior and not anyone else’s. When
helping them take responsibility for their actions, let them know that you’re
interested in how they behave and not who hit whom first. Discuss with them how
they could have handled the situation differently (without hitting, cursing, etc.)
Feel free to ask for help from your division head. Asking for help is not a sign of
weakness. Knowing when to ask for help is certainly a strength.

USE YOURSELF
Down Time: In Between Activities: Your physical presence is the best preventative
medicine. If you are actively involved with your group, you will be more aware of
problems that may arise. Be aware that incidents are more likely to flare up while
walking down a path, stopping for water, or just “hanging out” than at structured
activities. Singing on the way to and from activities is a great way to avoid
restlessness and boredom which may lead to disruption.

Set the Pick: Often your body is all that is required to head off fights. Like in
basketball, you can “set a pick”, place your body between the campers who have the
least control over their behavior. During all activities you should sit in the middle
of the group. Do not isolate yourself by sitting at the head of the table at all
times or by sitting at a different table from your bunk. Being in the middle of
things will reduce the potential for fighting. At large gatherings make sure you
are sitting with your campers. You will notice that your bunk is much calmer with
you there.

Describe the Behavior: Don’t tell a camper that he/she is “bad”, let them know that
their behavior at that moment is unacceptable. Tell the campers that it is OK to be
angry, but it is not OK to hit. Discuss with them different ways to react. Remind
them that they can control their behavior and that they can choose how they will
react.

Role Model: Campers are looking at you as they work on their own values. They look
up to you and will copy your behavior.

[CAMPFRIEND]

We have somthing like this for our campers. The go over the information with their parent before coming to camp!



The goal of our camp is to provide an atmosphere for children to develop a variety of satisfying skills and relationships, while enjoying healthy activities. Throughout the summer we continue with our Character Development mission to develop Respect, Responsibility, Caring, and Honesty among our campers. As a family, please read, discuss, and initial this Character Contract TOGETHER.

____Appropriate Conversation – Children will not be allowed to discuss inappropriate topics or contribute to demeaning conversations about other campers or staff.

____Appropriate Language – Children must refrain from using obscene language or gestures for any reason.

____Respect – When asked to do or not to do something, a camper needs to follow directions the first time given. This is for the safety of all campers. Please speak to staff & other campers with respect. Inappropriate touching of any kind is also prohibited.

____Play – Campers are asked not to engage in any horseplay with each other or with a counselor. No one will be allowed to hit, kick, push or display any type of aggressive behavior. We will use appropriate words to settle our differences. We keep our hands and feet to ourselves.

____Responsibility – All campers need to remain with their group and within eyesight of their counselor. This applies while we are at school sites, and on off-site field trips. We want campers to be safe at all times.

____Caring – It is important to use and care for equipment, toys and games properly so that other campers can enjoy them. We will care for the property of the YMCA, of other campers and of the YMCA staff.


What will happen when this contract is violated:
If an incident occurs where a camper conducts himself/herself in a manner that jeopardizes their safety, the safety of others, or is not in accordance with the mission of the YMCA and camp, the following steps will be taken without refund to camper.

1. First violation – a staff member will address and document the issue directly with the child. The child may be removed from an activity for the day. Parents will be contacted during the day or at the end of camp depending on the time of the incident. Parents must sign the character contract counseling report at time of pick up.

2. Second violation – a staff member will address and document the issue directly with the child. The parent or guardian will receive a phone call and be asked to pick up their child within the hour. The child will not be allowed to attend camp the next day that he/she is registered for. Parents must sign the character contract counseling report at the time of pick up.

3. Third violation – a staff member will address and document the issue directly with the child. Parents will be contacted immediately to pick up their child from camp. The child will be suspended from camp for a week. Parents must sign the character contract counseling report at the time of pick up.

4. Fourth violation – Child will be dismissed from camp for the remainder of the program.


•Please note, that at the Camp Director discretion, steps may be skipped if the offense warrants an immediate consequence in a short period of time.

The following guidelines have been read and discussed.

_____________________ _________________________ _______
Camper’s signature Parent/guardian signature Date