This paper begins by presenting three tests, which are included in the appendix, of one's awareness of physical risks. This exercise leads to a discussion of the differences between actual and perceived risk, why people participate in outdoor activities, and the inaccurate perception of actual risks. Complicating the issue of accurately perceiving…

Defining the nature and extent of risk associated with adventure education, this article notes the riskiest activities and delineates three main causes of accidents: unsafe conditions; unsafe acts; and judgmental errors. Careful program organization, staff selection, routine safety inspections, and emergency plans are also addressed. (SB)

Decision making by outdoor adventure educators revolves around balancing risk and competence. A model of outdoor adventure decision making is presented that draws on naturalistic decision-making processes and emphasizes the importance of situational recognition and prior experience. Leaders draw key information from the natural environment,…

Suggestions for meeting licensing requirements for adventure education programs in the United Kingdom include identifying risks that could result in death or disabling injury, determining whether these risks are being adequately controlled, documenting appropriate supervision of instructors, developing a safety policy that addresses staff…

Guidelines for beginning adventure education instructors include preparing to effectively manage accidents by identifying all risks associated with an activity, leading only those adventure activities in which one feels competent, and establishing goals in order to make good decisions in the field and approach programs with clarity and purpose.…

A trainee in psychotherapeutic counseling conducts an allegorical trip to the Greek underworld via a caving trip to demonstrate the healing and learning potential within the risk-based experience. The acknowledgement of one's fears and their origins can have a powerful effect and serve as a metaphor for transformation in other areas of life.…

The death of a 17-year-old British girl on a youth expedition to Vietnam prompts questions about the ethics and role of expedition education and about accreditation and regulation of the adventure field. Should the agenda be controlled by a central corporation, government, or the field itself? Those in the field should present a united front on…

This anthology contains 18 chapters that deal with wilderness therapy for women and the symbolic value of wilderness accomplishments to women's mental health. Sections of the book present theoretical perspectives on wilderness therapy; describe programs providing empowerment, challenge, and therapy for general populations of women and special…

A model to explain the adventure experience and to relate adventure experience to adventure education uses risk and competence as diagram axes with experimentation/exploration, adventure, peak adventure, misadventure, and disaster/devastation completing the framework. The model assumes that peak adventure, the point at which personal competence…

On the premise that the benefits of adventure education far outweigh risks in any well managed program, this document provides such programs, which stand on relatively untested ground in the eye of the law in this litigious society, with strategies for reduction of risk by controlling the nature and frequency of accidents. The first section…

Changes in adolescents' self concept as a result of participation in a camping program were studied. Subjects were 57 males and females, aged 14-18, who spent 9 weeks with the Man and His Land program, travelling on eight camping expeditions. Three hypotheses were tested through pre-, mid-, and posttests: (1) Differences would be shown in pre- and…

Creating a safe place in which to learn is vital to providing all students with equal opportunity. The Caring Classroom is a model for using adventure techniques to create a classroom community. It begins at the formation stage of group development by addressing cooperation issues such as using put-ups instead of put-downs, using active listening,…

Outdoor education, or adventure education, is any educational experience which takes place outside the confines of a predetermined area. Critics of outdoor education point to its potential danger. Outdoor education activities demand physical, intellectual, emotional, and psychological involvement. The lessons learned are cooperation, sharing,…

This paper outlines a model for assessing and managing psychological depth in outdoor and experiential group work, and presents two case studies of the complexity of such management in real life. The model contains eight levels of emotional risk and presents four criteria for assessing the level to which a particular event or discussion may lead…

A growing number of schools and institutions in North America have begun offering training in high risk activities such as high element rope courses, rock climbing, white water kayaking and canoeing, and scuba diving in conjunction with their regular physical education activity programs. High risk activities are those activities which occur in or…