Title: Virginia 4-H Camping Volunteer Training Modules
1Virginia 4-H CampingVolunteer Training Modules
MODULE 8 UNDERSTANDING YOUTH CAMPERS AND
MANAGING YOUTH BEHAVIOR AT 4-H CAMP
Developed by Barry A. Garst, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor and Extension Specialist 4-H Youth
Development, March 2006
2How to Use this Information
- If you are a 4-H adult volunteer leader
- 1. Review the 4-H camp-related information
contained in this presentation. - 2. Consider the Discussion Questions listed on
the last page. - 3. Contact your local 4-H Extension Agent (or
other person responsible for - 4-H camping in your county/city) to review
this information. - If you are a VCE faculty or staff member
responsible for 4-H camping in your unit - 1. Review the 4-H camp-related information
contained in this presentation. - 2. Use this presentation to support your 4-H camp
teen/adult volunteer - leader training.
- 3. Use the Discussion Questions listed on the
last page as a resource in - reviewing this information with your 4-H
camp volunteers.
3Overview
- Causes of misbehavior at 4-H camp
- Creating an environment for positive behavior
- Verbal and nonverbal interventions
- How you can influence misbehavior
- Recommendations for homesickness
- 4-H Use-of-Force Policy
4Misbehavior at 4-H Camp
- Providing a positive 4-H camp experience requires
that 4-H camp paid and volunteer staff create an
environment where youth can be successful at 4-H
camp. - By providing a successful environmentone which
helps youth to meet their needswe can also
manage a majority of youth misbehavior.
5Misbehavior at 4-H Camp
- LESS SERIOUS
- Not listening (directions, instructions)
- Disrupting others
- Annoying or interfering behavior
- SERIOUS
- Refusal to obey rules
- Threatens to hurt (or hurts) themselves
or others - Destroys camp property, equipment, supplies
6Causes of Misbehavior
- There are two main causes of youth misbehavior.
- This first cause is biological, in which a young
person may have some type of neurological
disorder or organic impairment which impacts
his/her behavior, speech, etc. - The second cause is environmental, in which a
young person misbehaves because his/her needs are
not being met or because the structure of the
situation is not encouraging positive behavior.
7Causes of Misbehavior
- Biological
- Neurological impairment
- Developmental delays
-
The average ADHD child is 30 behind in
age-appropriate self-control. In other words, a
13 year-old camper will behave like a 9-10 year
old.
STRUCTURE
NEEDS
8Focus on Environmental Causes
- Although managing biological causes of
misbehavior are beyond the scope of a 4-H camp
volunteers role and responsibilities at 4-H
camp, there are several things that volunteers
can do to manage the 4-H camp environment.
9Environmental Causes of Misbehavior
- All people use behavior to get what they want!
When you see youth misbehavior, needs are not
being met - Boredom (Lack of fun, Too much down time)
- Anxiety/Confusion/Fear (Lack of safety and
structure) - Perception that campers, volunteers and staff
dont care (Lack of belonging) - No opportunities for choice/play (Lack of
freedom) - No opportunities for success or recognition (Lack
of worth)
10Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- As a 4-H camp volunteer, you have a role in
creating an environment that encourages positive
behavior rather than allowing misbehavior. - The following slides identify several things that
you can do to foster positive 4-H camp behavior.
11Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H youth campers need to eat at meal times and
drink plenty of fluids all day! At camp,
dehydration (and poor eating) are major
contributors to both camper sickness and camper
behavior problems. - Encourage all of your campers to eat. If you
learn that a camper is not eating, inform your
Extension Agent (or other person responsible for
your county/city 4-H camping program).
12Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H youth campers need to feel safe.
- At camp, fear can come in different forms. Some
campers are not comfortable with the outdoors.
Aspects of the natural environment (such as
insects, darkness, plants, wildlife, and weather)
can be scary to some campers. Help campers to
talk about and manage these fears.
13Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H campers may also fear other campers. Bullying
is becoming increasing common in many different
contexts. - Be aware of camp bullying. Confront bullying as
soon as you are aware of it. Inform your 4-H
Extension Agent (or other person responsible for
your county/city 4-H camping program). (Bullying
is addressed further in MODULE 16.)
14Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- One of the most important things you can do to
help 4-H youth campers to feel save and to reduce
misbehavior is to develop a positive relationship
with campers. - Campers will respond better to a 4-H camp
volunteer who they believe genuinely likes and
believes in them.
15Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H youth campers need to know their expectations
and the consequences of misbehavior. How do you
want them to behave? Be familiar with the 4-H
code of conduct and any other camp-specific
expectations. - At the beginning of each program or activity,
remind campers of important behavior expectations
related to that program/activity. In other words,
tell them how you want them to act.
16Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- When possible, involve 4-H youth campers in
creating rules for their own behavior. For
example, ask campers this question, What rules
should we follow today (or this week) to help us
to have fun and to make sure that no one gets
hurt? - (NOTE This approach works particularly well for
individual cabins or rooms in which a group of
campers are learning to live together for the
first time.)
17Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- When possible, post rules or expectations where
4-H youth campers can see them. - When campers misbehave, be fair and consistent
with consequences. Only give consequences that
are within your limits of authority. Talk with
your 4-H Extension Agent (or other person
responsible for your county/city 4-H camping
program) regarding how consequences should be
managed.
18Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H youth campers need structure. Help campers
to understand that their day is scheduled and
that they have specific places where they need to
be at all times. - 4-H youth campers need to know what is going on.
Help campers to be familiar with their schedules
(carry a 4-H camp schedule with you at all
times).
19Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- Prepare 4-H youth campers for a change in
activity. Give campers a 5-minute warning
before the end of an activity or program. This
transition time will help them to prepare for
what is next. - Answer 4-H youth campers questions about all 4-H
camp programs and activities. Help them to feel
comfortable with what they are doing now and what
they are getting ready to do.
20Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- Avoid too much down-time. Excessive free time,
down-time or unstructured time is not a
successful environment for many youth. Keep 4-H
youth campers active and involved.
21Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- Many volunteers teach 4-H camp classes. If you
are teaching a class at 4-H camp, be aware of
your teaching environment. - Is there enough light?
- Are there external or outside distractions?
- When is your class scheduled? Will campers
arrive at your class hungry or thirsty? If so,
then consider providing water and a light snack
before you begin teaching.
22Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H campers need to feel a sense of belonging and
a sense of identity. Help campers to become
involved in their different camp social groups.
Create activities that help campers to learn one
another's names. Remind campers to wear their
name tags and any other symbol of camp identity
and membership.
23Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- When you notice campers who are sitting alone,
try to involve them with other campers. Ask
someone to be their buddy for the day or for
the week.
24Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- When possible, give 4-H youth campers choices.
Allow them to decide when and how they want to be
involved in 4-H camp activities. - A choice between 2 options is better than no
choice at all. Youth who are given choices tend
to feel that they have more control over their
own lives.
25Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- 4-H youth campers need to be challenged and
stimulated. Youth who are not challenged can
become bored which can lead to misbehavior. - Be aware of your campers skills and abilities.
If you notice campers that are not being
challenged by an existing activity, consider
modifying the activity or providing another type
of activity.
26Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- Help 4-H youth campers to be successful and
recognize their success. Give campers some
individual attention to help them to complete an
activity successfully (imagine hitting a
bulls-eye in archery for the first time). - Recognize camper accomplishments. Saying great
job or awarding a small prize can make an
important impact on youth behavior.
27Creating an Environment for Positive Behavior at
4-H Camp
- Talk with your 4-H Extension Agent (or other
person responsible for your county/city 4-H
camping program) regarding existing strategies
for creating an environment that will encourage
positive behavior at 4-H camp. - Please share your own ideas for creating a
positive 4-H camp environment!
28What happens when managing the environment
doesnt work?
- Sometimes a camper will misbehave even though you
have done everything that you can to successfully
manage the childs environment. - In such instances, there are several non-verbal
and verbal interventions that can help you to
successfully manage a childs misbehavior.
29Non-Verbal Interventions
- Proximity- get close to the camper who is
misbehaving. Separate youth who might be
misbehaving together by sitting in-between them. - Planned ignoring- watch the campers, but be
careful not to reinforce acting out (be aware,
but dont provide direct attention)
30Non-Verbal Interventions
- Eye Contact- Catch the misbehaving campers eye,
and let him/her know that you are watching - Signal Interference- Put a finger to your lips to
signal quiet. Extend your palm downward to
suggest settle down.
31Non-Verbal Interventions
- Body Language- Stay in control and appear calm in
all situations. - Remove distractions (and distracting objects)-
Avoid confrontation while you move these items
out of sight. - Model appropriate behavior!
32Verbal Interventions
- Affection- give a camper a sincere compliment.
This is a very effective way to stop misbehavior. - Show personal interest- ask an open-ended
question - Negotiate- If I get 5 minutes of cooperation,
then Ill let you
33Other Interventions
- Quiet Time- Camper behavior often gets worse
later in the week. This is not surprising, as
many campers do not sleep as much at camp as they
do at home. Many people (both youth and adults)
become irritable or grumpy when they get tired.
Consider a nap or quiet time as a behavioral
intervention if you suspect that a camper might
not be getting an appropriate amount of sleep at
night. - Talk with your 4-H Agent (or other person
responsible for your county/city 4-H camping
program) regarding the use of quiet- time as a
behavioral intervention at your camp.
34Other Interventions
- Time-Out- With this intervention, you remove the
misbehaving camper from the situation and ask
him/her to sit alone (near enough to still be
supervised) for a few minutes (typically 5-10
minutes max). When the campers time is up,
remind the camper about the appropriate behavior
and say, Are you ready to follow directions to
join the group? If the camper is ready, then
he/she is allowed to come back to the group. - Talk with your 4-H Agent (or other person
responsible for your county/city 4-H camping
program) regarding the use of time-out as a
behavioral intervention at your camp.
35Other Interventions
- At times, your 4-H Agent (or other person
responsible for your county/city 4-H camping
program) or 4-H Center Program Director may
choose to contact a campers parents/guardians or
to take away a campers privileges. However,
these interventions should not be used by a
volunteer. - Talk with your 4-H Agent (or other person
responsible for your county/city 4-H camping
program) if you have questions about the use of
these behavioral interventions at your camp.
36Be Aware of How YouImpact Youth Behavior
- Our own behavior, body-language, speech, and
tone-of-voice can make a tremendous impact on 4-H
campers behaviors. - As a 4-H camp volunteer, be aware of your own
voiceyour volume and your tone. What happens
when you get frustrated? Do you tend to raise
your voice?
37Be Aware of How YouImpact Youth Behavior
- When helping 4-H youth campers to manage their
behavior, be sure to lower your tone-of-voice low
and stay in control. Remember, you can be stern
without yelling. - Be sure that you know campers names and use
their names when talking to themthis shows
respect and gets attention quickly.
38Be Aware of How YouImpact Youth Behavior
- A persons body language is a symbol of power.
Avoid being intimidating or threatening. When
managing youth behavior, consider sitting so you
and the youth are physically equal. - Make eye contact and help to control 4-H campers
behaviors by moving closer to them (as opposed to
yelling across a room).
39Other Considerations
- Too often, we often focus on what we dont want
rather than on what we do want. - Tell campers what and why
- Remember to communicate your expectations
40Other Considerations
- If a camper is misbehaving (particularly in an
unsafe way or in an unsafe place), redirect
him/her to increase safety. - Say, I need you to walk over to the bench and
sit down so that I can help you with your
problem.
41Homesickness
- A thorough description of homesickness and
strategies for preventing and treating
homesickness are provided in MODULE 19.
424-H Use-of-Force Policy
- Corporal punishment is never allowed in 4-H camp.
- In fact, you should never put your hands on a
childin a behavior management situation--except
to keep the child from hurting themselves or
others.
434-H Use-of-Force Policy
- Virginia Cooperative Extension staff (i.e.,
Extension Agents, Extension Specialists, Program
Assistants, Center Director, Program Directors,
and 4-H Center summer camp staff members) and
registered volunteers may verbally intervene in
situations that might cause harm to a 4-H
participant.
444-H Use-of-Force Policy
- Virginia Cooperative Extension staff and
registered volunteers have a responsibility to
maintain a safe and orderly environment. - If physical intervention is necessary to prevent
4-H participants from harming themselves or
others, then VCE staff and registered volunteers
may use physical restraint.
454-H Use-of-Force Policy
- When using physical intervention, the amount of
force used must only be the amount of force
necessary to restrain the participant(s) and
prevent harm or further harm from occurring. - Whenever less intrusive measures are possible,
they must be used.
46Discussion Questions
- Identify a situation in which managing a young
persons behavior was difficult for you. What
did you do to manage the situation? - If the situation occurred tomorrow, what else
would you try? - Which of the types of behavior management
interventions mentioned in this module are most
comfortable for you? - Which are the most unfamiliar?
47Discussion Questions
- As a 4-H camp volunteer, what other training do
you need in order to properly manage youth
behavior at camp? - What do you think is the most important thing
that should be remembered from this module?
48References
- Divinyi, J. (1997). Good Kids, Difficult
Behavior. A Guide to What - Works and What Doesnt. The Wellness
Connection, Peachtree City, GA. - Fink, D.B. (1995). Discipline in School-Age
Care Controlling the - Climate not the Children. School-Age Notes,
Nashville, TN. - Garst, B.A. (2005). Virginia 4-H Camping
Handbook. Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Publication 388-562. - Huebner, A. Garst, B. (2001). Managing Youth
Behavior. Workshop - presented at the 2001 4-H/FCS Inservice.
- New York State 4-H Camping Program Crosiar, S.
(2003). Youth Development - Foundations for 4-H Camp Staff A Training
Manual. Cornell Cooperative - Extension.