Summer Camp Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland

For many people, summer camp evokes fond memories that involve meeting new friends, making handmade crafts, and swimming in a lake. But for some children, their most vivid memory of summer camp is being sexually abused by someone they trusted to keep them out of harm’s way. If you can relate to this type of trauma or believe your child does, you should talk to summer camp sexual abuse lawyers in Maryland to discuss bringing a civil lawsuit against the liable parties.

Representing Child Sexual Abuse Victims Who Seek Justice

When you contact Andreozzi + Foote for legal advice, you’ll talk to a caring Maryland sex abuse lawyer who has successfully handled sexual abuse lawsuits for numerous survivors. We understand that this is a sensitive topic that can bring up devastating memories for you and your loved ones, so you can trust us to treat your sexual abuse case with the care it requires. Contact us to discuss what to do if your summer camp experience involved sexual assault.

How Common Is Sexual Abuse at Summer Camp?

Summer camps have been popular for decades, but society has only been more open to talking about and reporting sexual abuse in recent years. This unfortunately means sex abuse at these camps has been going on unchecked for decades, with over 500 cases of sexual abuse being reported in the last 50 years. In short, child sex abuse is rather prevalent at summer camp.

There are a few reasons for this. One is that children are left with camp counselors for days or weeks with little contact with their parents. In most cases, their phones or other electronic devices are taken away and locked up during their time at camp, making it difficult for children to tell their parents if they feel unsafe.
Additionally, many children have been told to trust their camp counselors and might not realize that inappropriate conversations or sexual touching could be wrong. Even when they do, camp staff members might threaten or bribe children to stay quiet.

Another reason for the prevalence of sexual abuse at summer camp is the lack of regulations when it comes to hiring. While schools are required to run background checks on new employees, some states do not have the regulations in place to require this of summer camps, making it possible for sexual predators to become employed at camps despite criminal charges on their record.

These factors often come together to allow child sex abuse to run rampant at camps around the country. If you or a loved one are child sex abuse victims, you should contact Baltimore sex abuse lawyers to learn if you have a civil lawsuit to pursue. You can get a free consultation with our caring attorneys to discuss your legal options, so call our Maryland law firm.

What Are Signs of Child Sexual Abuse?

If you’re worried your child was sexually abused at camp, you should keep an eye out for some signs of sexual abuse. They can manifest in many ways, so watch for changes in your child’s emotions, behavior, and physical appearance. Some of the warning signs of child sex abuse include:

Bedwetting
Difficulty sleeping
Sudden knowledge of or interest in sexual subjects
Swelling, bleeding, or pain in the genitals
Symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection
Anxiety
Depression
Self-harm
Fear or dread of returning to camp

If your child displays these signs that they were sexually abused at camp, you should gather any evidence and report the abuse to the police or the department of social services. You should then get your child the support they need, such as mental health counseling and an appointment with their doctor to check for physical evidence of sexual assault. You can use these resources to get started on finding therapists and other options for support in Maryland:

Once you’ve reported the sex abuse and made appointments with medical professionals, you should contact our legal team for information on child sexual abuse lawsuits. We’ll let you know if we recommend initiating a sex child abuse civil case and what to expect from the legal process.

Should You Pursue Compensation for Child Sexual Abuse?

If you or your child were abused at summer camp, you should consider legal action against the abusers and anyone who allowed the abuse to occur. After all, childhood sexual abuse often leads to long-term consequences for survivors, some of which can negatively affect their quality of life. The effects of child sex abuse can include:
Depression

PTSD
Low self-esteem
Suicidal thoughts
Fear of intimacy
Difficulty maintaining relationships
Memory problems
Sexual dysfunction
Higher chance of taking sexual risks
Higher rates of substance abuse and eating disorders

You may be able to reduce the chance of your child suffering these long-term effects of sexual abuse by getting them help as soon as possible. But this requires your family to spend money and time you might not have. This is why you should consider pursuing a civil lawsuit against anyone who sexually abused you or your child.
In fact, child sex abuse lawsuits typically target more than one defendant, as it usually turns out that someone knew or should have known about the sex abuse committed by the sexual abuser.

For instance, your Maryland sexual abuse lawsuit might pursue compensation from the camp counselor who committed sexual assault, as well as the camp employees who hired them. If it turns out the managers or owners ignored reports of sex abuse or tried to hide any evidence of it, the sexual abuse lawsuit may also name them as defendants.The purpose of civil lawsuits is to seek compensation for sex abuse victims so they don’t have to pay for any abuse-related costs out of pocket. So, your civil claim might seek financial compensation to make up for the following:

Medical expenses
Therapy
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life

Childhood sexual abuse can have lifelong effects on abuse survivors, so they deserve to get the money they need to pay for medical expenses, counseling, and time away from work to handle the emotional distress stemming from sex abuse at summer camp. While the money that sexual abuse survivors recover from sex abuse lawsuits won’t erase the devastating effects of sexual assault during childhood, it can provide some financial freedom if they want to take time off work, travel, or pay for expensive items that may bring them joy. Additionally, sexual abuse lawsuits can serve as punishment for sex offenders and their enablers.

If you’re ready to bring a civil lawsuit against the individuals or businesses that allowed you or your child to be sexually abused at camp, contact our Maryland law firm to discuss the details of your sex abuse civil case. We’ve handled childhood sex abuse lawsuits for many sexual abuse survivors, so you can trust us to use our knowledge of Maryland sex abuse laws to collect the compensation you deserve.

Why Should You Hire Summer Camp Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland?

Hiring a Maryland sex abuse lawyer for your civil lawsuit will ensure that you can easily adhere to the rules and deadlines of the local civil court. You don’t want to miss out on securing fair compensation due to a typo or other mistakes in the legal paperwork of your civil lawsuit, so we encourage you to hire the experienced legal professionals at our law firm to handle sex abuse claims like yours.

Our lawyers stay updated on the latest laws surrounding sex abuse civil lawsuits, such as the statute of limitations. In fact, we want to ensure sex abuse survivors are aware that the Maryland Child Victims Act recently removed the statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims, so there is no longer a limit on how long you have to report child sex abuse. Even if the sexual assault or abuse happened several years ago, you can initiate a Maryland sex abuse civil case against the individuals who sexually assaulted you or tried to cover up what happened.

At Andreozzi + Foote, we believe every child should be protected from sexual predators who initiate unwanted sexual contact, forcible rape, sexual battery, or any other act that constitutes sexual abuse. Children deserve to enjoy summer camp without enduring horrific sexual misconduct by a sex abuser, and parents should never have to worry about camp counselors abusing children during camp. If you’ve unfortunately had to think about the details of child sex abuse, you should contact us to discuss how civil claims can benefit victims and their families. Call us at 866-311-8640 for your confidential consultation regarding your Maryland sexual abuse case.