Summer camp offers haven for children of crime victims

Children of crime victims enjoy rafting down the Hantan River on August 16.

Day-long activities first gathering of its kind

Children play outside, making a big circle under the teacher’s supervision. Upon her instruction, they throw the clay as hard as they can to the ground. Spreading it, they began to make patterns, designs, and pictures out of the pliable loam. Then the paint comes out - the pictures come to life in vivid technicolor: houses, ponds, islands. The children are absorbed in their creative activities.

These children are attending a day-long summer camp for the offspring of victims of crimes, held at a resort in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 16. A total of 19 persons, including nine children who lost their father or mother to violent crime, took part in the event. They were divided into two groups. The children, aged from seven to 18, came from across the nation to participate.

Instructor Park Jeong-il explained, "Children know this program as recreation, but in fact, this is a procedure of psychological therapy. They relieve their stress throwing clay toward an aiming point. Besides, they strengthen their minds through a procedure of self-expression."

Sometimes, as kids will be kids, the young attendees did not follow their teachers’ instructions, especially when gathering near a campfire to watch a video. But as soon as the movie began to be projected - video letters from loving family members - the children became quickly solemn, looking older than their years.

The grandmother of a nine-year-old girl said, "I am happy to see my granddaughter enjoying herself. If there is another similar program later, I want to take part in it again." The small girl witnessed her father being murdered by his acquaintance in January. Since then, she has suffered severe stress and she can’t sleep well at night.

The camp marked the first event in the nation for families of victims of crimes. This event was organized by the National Police Agency and the programs were made by Good Neighbors, an organization which offers support for youth.

Jeong Geun-jae, head of the Gimcheon Neuropsychiatric Clinic, said, "A procedure in which families of victims meet and share information related to their pain is a kind of group therapy concept, and it will be very useful for curing their hurt." Jeong, who since 2003 has participated in a center to support victims in the Gimcheon area, North Gyeongsang Province, said that the "families of victims of crime tend to suffer symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, such as recalling the incidents continuously, or having disturbed sleep. They often need to get psychological treatment. But due to the problem of budgeting and a lack of networks, there are only 55 centers nationwide that provide support for these people."