Virginia 4-H Camping Volunteer Training Modules

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Virginia 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
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How 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.

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Overview

• 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

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Misbehavior 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.

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Misbehavior 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

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Causes 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.

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Causes of Misbehavior

• Environmental

• 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
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Focus 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.

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Environmental 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)

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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).

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.)

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.)

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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).

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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.

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Creating 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!

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What 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.

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Non-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)

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Non-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.

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Non-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!

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Verbal 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

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Other 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.

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Other 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.

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Other 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.

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Be 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?

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Be 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.

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Be 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).

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Other 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

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Other 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.

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Homesickness

• A thorough description of homesickness and
  strategies for preventing and treating
  homesickness are provided in MODULE 19.

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4-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.

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4-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.

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4-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.

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4-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.

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Discussion 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?

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Discussion 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?

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References

• 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.