Environmental stress-challenge programs for delinquent youths as an alternative to the juvenile justice system in the US have shown very favorable results, though little research has been done to determine why. In order to provide information about processes involved in such programs, a checklist of 40 affective role expectations for delinquent youth was mailed to 58 program directors; checklists were returned by 49 directors and 48 instructors from 27 states, along with personal, professional, and program data. Results showed that Outward Bound greatly influenced the design of these programs; few had made adaptations to better serve special needs of delinquent youths. As for staff, few instructors had received outdoor education or training during their college education and there was high turnover. Directors had more stable positions and more formal education directly related to their profession. The Taxonomy of Affective Role Expectations was proven to be a valid representation of real phenomena, implying that many expressed goals of individuals and programs in this field were not realistic. Differences related to length of program, percentages of delinquent youths in a program, age of delinquents, and follow-up programs were noted, and recommendations for program development and future research are included. (RS)