Diarmuid Martin, Benedictus XVI, Cheesehead Dolan en Maynooth

In sommige dingen zijn Amerikanen erg goed, waardoor ze al heel jong kunnen ervaren dat knielen óók het tegendeel van onderwerping is, het verschil tussen macht en autoriteit.

The sexual-abuse scandal enveloping a Cape Cod religious camp is stirring unease among parents just as they finalize plans for their children’s summer getaways and prompting camp officials across the region to reassure the public that their camps are safe.

“You just don’t know who you are dropping your child off with,’’ said Bob Alliegro, a Mashpee parent who said he and his wife had planned on sending their 7-year-old daughter to Camp Good News in Sandwich until it decided to close after controversy erupted there about two months ago. “You are hoping that they are safe, but you are never 100 percent sure.’’

Most parents interviewed this week, while troubled by the unfolding scandal, said they did not plan to alter their plans for overnight camp.

Joshua Cohen of Natick will send his 15-year- old twins to Grossman Camp, located in a pine-filled oasis on Hale Reservation in Westwood. He said their safety is always in the back of his mind, but he feels assured by camp staff and rules.

“Nothing is going to be absolutely safe,’’ he said. “But if the right protocols are in place, then the risk is acceptable.’’

Camp officials, meanwhile, said they have been toughening their screening policies for staff members in recent years, partly in response to high-profile revelations about sexual abuse of children, including those involving Catholic priests. The state requires recreational camps to check employees’ and volunteers’ records for criminal, juvenile, and sex offenses. Local boards of health enforce those rules, state officials say.

Peg Smith — executive director of the American Camp Association, which accredits 2,400 US camps, including 137 in Massachusetts — said that while she has not seen reports of heightened concerns from parents, camp officials have been releasing information about hiring, training, and screening practices.

“What I am hearing is that they are all deeply troubled,’’ Smith said of camp officials. “Everyone is making sure they are reviewing, assuring, and improving what they are doing. Safety is not a new issue for us.’’

Camp officials say they must follow strict regulations by the ACA or risk losing accreditation. They say they regularly train staff members on how to spot physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, along with other childhood issues such as bullying.

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