Re: Camp issue (Feb. 27)

Thank you for the wonderful uplifting expose on the benefits of a Jewish summer camp experience.  All of the vignettes from the parents, the counselors and the campers were very positive and encouraging.  Camp can be a great experience for our children.  I had a great experience at Camp Laurelwood in Connecticut as a kid, and all of my four children went to Camp JORI.  So I know a Jewish summer camp experience has great value.  But I also know that camp can be a traumatic experience if your kid is being bullied.

We want our children to have a fun-filled, uplifting experience, but we also need to prepare them for the realities of camp life.  Bullying can happen anywhere.

This is another opportunity to discuss the concept of bullying with your children.  Children need to know how to recognize bullying, and they need to feel empowered and prepared to deal with it. The most important message for them is that if they feel threatened or uncomfortable they need to tell an adult at camp as well as their parents.  And they need to keep looking for an adult who will help them until they get the help they need.

Going to camp for the first time is exciting.  But new campers need to know that being the new kid is a potential minefield, so they need to be prepared. Counselors at every level need to be vigilant about camper interactions.  I know camps are now more aware and sensitive to bullying, but bullying can happen very surreptitiously. Children also need to know that they should intervene if they witness bullying.  Being a silent bystander is being complicit.  Teach your children to support the victim.

We also need to talk to our children about not being a bully.  The message of being a blessing is important.

Be positive about camp, but talk to your children about bullying.

Marc Ladin

West Kingston, R.I.

Marc Ladin is the author of the children’s book “The Playground Bully Blues.”