Bullying at Camp America

[Rainydaysgalore]

Dd is at Camp America and having a great time. But she is also calling home a lot telling me about her cabin who are clearly causing her a lot of upset. She doesn’t get on with the other counsellors in there and there are also 16 teenage girls in there (aged 15) who are being vile to her. Telling her to shut up, telling her no one likes her and being as unkind as they possibly can. The two other leaders are ignoring it as she doesn’t get on with them either.

She’s quite quiet and won’t speak to anyone about it as she really wants to go back next year. She says it will ruin her chances. I hate knowing she’s experiencing this but would hate to go behind her back and let someone there know what’s going on. I’m worried this will cause long lasting problems as she’s always found it so hard to make friends. Her whole reason for going there was to go to a place to make new friends and where no one knew her. She has a tendency to be bullied as she is very gentle. Do I just ignore and support her by just being there? Or should I contact someone even though she’s asked me not to? Has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior at Camp America?

If she doesn't speak up nothing will change.
Why does she wants to go back if she isn't happy?

DS did CA and apart from bantering it was fine. I guess bullying can happen anythere.

If she is gentle and sensitive and struggles to make friends is there a chance she is being hyper vigilante to others who might not be bullying? I say this as a mum whose daughter was very sensitive and saw things as black and white and sometimes would misinterpret others. I’d see it first hand, she is now thriving but it wasn’t an easy ride.

Either way if she is unhappy it’ll be a long awful summer for her the impact of that might outweigh the benefits.

Oh this is just awful.
How can she be "Having a great time"? More likely she is trying to put on a brace face face for you.
Tell her to escalate it up and ask to be moved to a different cabin. There are managers appointed to look after the counsellors and they will be trained re how to handle this.
She absolutely doesn't have to put up with this and if they can't sort it, I'd be telling her to come home.

I'd be very shocked at that going on at a summer camp. I did camp America years ago but there was no bullying between counsellors although a little between the kids. I worked with the teens and it was our job to handle it and get it resolved. You have to be very resilient at camp as you're obviously in a new country ultimately alone. Is there no one she considers a friend yet? There's normally loads of activities and team work to get everyone working together and making friends before the kids even arrive. What are the girls who are being vile to her doing exactly?

Is she able to switch cabins? Is there someone who would be happy to switch with her or an empty space somewhere else she could move to? She doesn't have to say she's being bullied when she discusses it with whoever is in charge, she can just say they haven't gelled or something like that.

If she's having a great time then she must be getting on well with someone, otherwise how is she having a great time if everyone is horrible to her?