By Kimberly King, M.S. | Certified Sexual Abuse Prevention Educator | Tough Topics Mom®

Summer camp should be one of the greatest experiences of your child's life — new friends, fireflies, and freedom. But before you pack the bug spray and label the water bottle, there's one conversation that belongs on every parent's pre-camp checklist.

It's not a scary conversation. In fact, done right, it takes less than ten minutes.

And it could be the most important ten minutes of your summer.

Why Summer Camp Requires a Body Safety Refresh

Every new environment your child enters — especially one where you are not present — is a new opportunity to either apply the body safety skills you've taught them, or to discover the gaps.

Summer camps, by design, involve:

• Overnight or extended time away from parents
• New adults in positions of trust — counselors, coaches, specialists
• Communal sleeping, bathing, and changing areas
• Peer groups without familiar adult oversight
• Children who may have experienced or been exposed to abuse themselves

This isn't cause for panic. It's cause for preparation. And prepared children are empowered children.

The Pre-Camp Body Safety Conversation: What to Say

You don't need a script, but you do need to hit these five key points before drop-off day.

1. Review the names of private parts — out loud

Yes, even if your child is 10. Use the correct anatomical terms: penis, vagina, vulva, buttocks, breasts. Children who know the proper words are more likely to report abuse clearly (so that camp staff understands what they mean) and more likely to be believed. A child who says "he touched my pee-pee" can face confusion. A child who says "he touched my penis" cannot. A child who says, "she took my cookie," can confuse or cause a counselor to miss the report entirely.

2. Remind them: No adult should ask to see or touch your private parts, except a doctor with a parent present

The only exception is a medical professional in a medical setting with a parent or guardian in the room. Period. Reinforce this specifically in the camp context: Not your counselor. Not an older camper. Not a specialist. Not anyone.

3. Teach them the difference between a surprise and a secret

Surprises are happy, temporary, and eventually shared — like a birthday gift or a s'mores recipe.

Secrets about bodies and safety are never okay. If an adult (or another child) asks them to keep something about their body a secret, that is a signal to tell a trusted adult immediately.

4. Identify their "safe adults" at camp AND at home

Ask your child: "If something happened at camp and you felt scared or uncomfortable, who would you tell?"

Help them name at least two people — ideally one at camp (a counselor they trust, a nurse, a director) and one at home (you, a grandparent, another trusted adult). Practice saying: "I need to tell you something important." 
A safe adult is chosen based on behavior not titles.

5. Give them permission to break the rules to stay safe

Children are taught to obey adults. That instinct can work against them when an adult is the source of danger. Explicitly tell your child: "If anyone ever makes you feel unsafe — even an adult — you have my full permission to say NO, to walk away, to make a scene, and to tell me immediately. You will never be in trouble for protecting yourself."

What to Watch for When They Come Home

Body safety conversations don't end at drop-off. Watch for these signs that something may have happened:

• Sudden reluctance to return to camp after previously enjoying it
• Nightmares, bedwetting, or regression to younger behaviors
• Withdrawal, irritability, or sudden mood changes
• Unexpected knowledge of sexual topics or behaviors
• Physical complaints — stomachaches, headaches — with no medical cause
• Telling you a staff member or older camper is their "special friend"

None of these signals alone confirms abuse. But all of them deserve a gentle, open conversation.

A Note on Child-on-Child Sexual Abuse (COCSA) at Camp

Most parents worry about adult predators. Far fewer think about the risk of peer-to-peer sexual harm — but they should.

Child-on-child sexual abuse (COCSA) is far more common than most people realize, and camp environments — with shared sleeping spaces, limited supervision at night, and peer group dynamics — create conditions where it can occur.

This doesn't mean older children are predators. Many children who act out sexually have been abused themselves. But it does mean:

• Your child needs to know that the same body safety rules apply to other children and older kids, not just adults
• "Playing doctor" that involves coercion, pressure, or secrecy is not okay
• Your child should know they can come to you about anything that happens with another child, without judgment

Questions to Ask the Camp Before Drop-Off

Empowered parents ask questions. Don't be afraid to call the camp director or review their materials for the following:

• Do you have a written child sexual abuse prevention policy?
• Have all staff been trained in child sexual abuse prevention (e.g., Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children)?
• What is your mandatory reporting protocol if a child discloses abuse?
• What is your supervision policy during sleeping hours and in changing areas?
• What is your policy on staff having one-on-one time with campers?

If a camp can't answer these questions clearly — or doesn't have written policies — that's import! And a big red flag!

The Bottom Line

You have already done something powerful by reading this. Parents who talk openly about body safety raise children who are more likely to report, more likely to be believed, and more likely to heal if something does happen.

You don't have to make summer scary. You just have to make your child strong.

Prepare, don't scare. Because an educated, empowered family is an unattractive target.™

Resources for Parents and Educators

• I Said No! A Kid-to-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private — Kimberly King's award-winning body safety book for children ages 4–8, used in Erin's Law curricula nationwide (300,000+ copies sold)
• Body Safety for Young Children: Empowering Caring Adults — Kimberly's Gryphon House guide for educators and parents
• Body Boss Bootcamp — Online course for children ages 4–9
• Summer Camp Body Safety Prep Class - for Parents
• Darkness to Light  — research-based training for adults

Kimberly King, M.S., is a certified sexual abuse prevention educator, kindergarten teacher, national speaker, and the author of I Said No!, I Said No to Hugs!, and Body Safety for Young Children. She is a Darkness to Light Stewards of Children Facilitator, SAPREA-trained educator, Sexual Assault Crisis Counselor, and Content Matter Expert for Bark Technologies. Her work has been featured by ABC, NBC, FOX, Forbes, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Mayo Clinic, and the Child Mind Institute. Learn more at toughtopicsmom.com.