Camp HOPE as an Intervention for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Program Evaluation of Hope, and Strength of Character

Published in 2017 in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, this journal article evaluates the impact of Camp HOPE America in 2015. This article is the first published, peer-reviewed journal article evaluating a camping and mentoring program in America. It finds that children’s hope and psychological strength improved from pre-test (before camp) to post-test (after camp). Additionally, increases in children’s hope were positively associated with the character strengths of zest, grit, self-control, optimism, gratitude, social intelligence, and curiosity. These findings highlight hope as a coping mechanism for children exposed to domestic violence and provide preliminary support for Camp HOPE America as an intervention within the established Family Justice Center system in the U.S.