When you send your child to a wilderness program the only way of communication is through old snail mail. Some program even execute censorship when it comes to these letters so they become more "therapeutic".
But what if your child experience real trauma due to the hands of the employees? How does your child alert you?
The simple answer is: It cannot be done as the wilderness programs are designed today. The child protection departments in various states do not conduct uannounced inspections in private and public wilderness programs. It is a question of logistics.
But without any public oversight in the field the teenagers are easy prey if an employee decides to assault or otherwise abuse one of teenagers.
In a case involving Second Nature Blue Ridge wilderness program, authorities is now investigating whether a teenager was forced to have sex with one of the employees.
If you decide to make use of wilderness programs, please ensure how you will able to communicate with your child without censorship and without notice to the program, they would not have time to alter certain statements.
Source:
Sex abuse alleged at camp for youths (The Clayton Tribune)
