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Thanks to an RCMP partnership in Nova Scotia, a group of young survivors of child sexual abuse and their families spent three days swimming, roasting marshmallows, and healing at a one-of-kind overnight camp last fall.
On a warm weekend in September, 13 people — including four child survivors aged 5 to 12, three siblings, and six parents or guardians — gathered at Brigadoon Village in Aylesford, Nova Scotia. Brigadoon Village is an organization devoted to programming for children with chronic health conditions and other life challenges. Known as Camp Hope, the retreat was the first in Atlantic Canada for survivors of abuse.
"Sexual assault can impact the whole family," says RCMP Corporal Mark Sobieraj, a former child exploitation investigator who came up with the idea for Camp Hope. He says siblings can experience their own trauma when they're interviewed by police or pulled into the judicial process.
The goal of the camp was for the children to have fun, connect with others, and gain the skills and confidence to support their healing through play. "We wanted to help not let the trauma define them," says Sobieraj.
Over three days, the children participated in art, archery, fire building, rock climbing, nature walks, and campfire games. "They laughed, and had plenty of opportunities to have silly fun together," says Tiffany MacInnis, the program manager at Brigadoon Village. "It was great to see them connecting with each other."
Deep impact
While Camp Hope looked like any other camp session, the program — from sleeping arrangements to activities — was designed with the participants' traumatic experiences in mind. Families were each given plenty of space to themselves, there were visits from four therapy dogs, and educational sessions were offered to the caregivers.
Police, child and youth-advocacy partners, and mental health professionals facilitated the hour-long sessions, which focused on well-being, understanding trauma, resources for victims and families, and more. The sessions were also a way for caregivers to connect with others with similar experiences.
"This kind of trauma is isolating because it tends be something survivors and their families keep secret," says Sobieraj. "Bringing them together showed them they're not alone."
While the focus of the camp wasn't for participants to talk about the abuse experienced, inevitably that's what happened, particularly in the educational sessions.
"The parents ended up spending most of the time sharing their own stories," says MacInnis. "It was raw and emotional for them to be unpacking it together but, also beautiful."
Many comments that parents made on the camp's feedback form echoed MacInnis's observations.
"Though it was sad to hear so many stories, it's nice to know your child isn't the only one going through something like this," wrote one parent. "This is a life-changing experience for families."
"When I told our child that the friend she made here, who is the same age as her, had experienced the same trauma, her eyes lit up because she realized she's not alone," wrote another.
Partnership for a cause
Sobieraj, who investigated child exploitation for nearly five years, got the idea for Camp Hope two years ago.
"Every day I saw the harms that child sexual abuse has on its victims and I was left with the feeling that we should be doing more," he says. "When I asked parents of victims how their child was doing, the answer I would get most frequently is "Well, they're doing OK." And I thought: We could be doing better than just OK."
Sobieraj partnered with Brigadoon Village to get funding from the RCMP's Family Violence Initiative Fund. It, and various other partner agencies involved in child protection, helped make the camp possible.
Participation in Camp Hope was offered for free, including meals, accommodations, and all activities. Applications were provided to families through the RCMP, Provincial Victim Services Program, Department of Community Services, and various partner organizations in Nova Scotia.
Camp Hope 2024
In April of this year the Camp Hope Team received grant funding from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia to host Camp Hope 2024. The planning has already started and Sobieraj says, "I hope we get to keep doing this every year, I would love to see camps like this across the country."
For more information on how to participate in Camp Hope visit www.brigadoonvillage.ca