As leaders, you often talk to campers and every now and then, they will share problems they are facing back home and will want to talk to you about them.

When talking with a camper, because of the way the world is these days it is advisable not to talk to them alone. Talk privately, but do it where you can be seen by others, such as in a main room, or out on an oval. This is to protect you from possible 'attack' later on in life when they may decide to attempt to bring charges against you and say you did something to them in private. In which case, if you are out in the open and people can see that you are and were only talking, then you are in the clear and taking the right direction in protecting yourself from possible future repercussions.

When talking to a camper, something you can't really do is promise you won't tell anyone about what they said. Yes, the unwritten privacy and confidentiality code is there, however, if they are being abused at home or at school or elsewhere, physically or sexually, then for there sake, depending on the situation, it may be a good idea to tell someone and have the matter referred on. But it is by far a good idea to ask them if they'd like something done about it. A big decision such as referring a matter social services should be talked about and consulted with a camp director or such, not handled on your own.