NCJ Number
66109
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE CHARACTERISTICS, SUCCESSES, AND LIMITATIONS OF WILDERNESS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR DELINQUENT YOUTH ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
CHARACTERISTIC DELINQUENT TRAITS ARE LOW SELF-ESTEEM, LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE IN MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS AND EVENTS, INABILITY TO COOPERATE AND COMMUNICATE, ALIENATION FROM OTHERS AND RESENTMENT TOWARD THEM, IMPULSIVENESS AND INABILITY TO DELAY GRATIFICATION OR PURSUE LONG-RANGE GOALS, AND A LACK OF INFORMATION AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO FUNCTION SUCCESSFULLY AS ADULTS. WILDERNESS TRAINING EXPERIENCES FOR DELINQUENTS ARE DESIGNED TO COUNTER THESE DEFICIENCIES. IN SUCH PROGRAMS, THE WILDERNESS BECOMES BOTH THE OBSTACLE TO BE OVERCOME AND THE VEHICLE TO BE USED FOR SURVIVAL. THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SKILLS AND TEAMWORK, THE PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE GROWTH IN THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS, SET AND REACH GOALS, USE THE ENVIRONMENT TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES, AND WORK WITH OTHERS IN RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS. AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF COLORADO'S OUTWARD BOUND PROGRAM ON THE RECIDIVISM RATES OF 40 MASSACHUSETTS PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP THAT UNDERWENT TRADITIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS SHOWED A 20 PERCENT RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE EXPERIMENTALS AND A 42 PERCENT RATE FOR CONTROLS OVER A 1-YEAR PERIOD ON PAROLE. OVER THE LONG-RANGE, HOWEVER, (2-5 YEARS) THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF THE EXPERIMENTALS APPROACHED THAT OF THE CONTROLS, SUGGESTING THE NEED FOR FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT TO TRANSFER THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES OF WILDERNESS TRAINING TO SURVIVAL WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. PROGRAM MODELS FROM MASSACHUSETTS, CALIFORNIA, ARKANSAS, ILLINOIS, TEXAS, AND NEW YORK ARE DESCRIBED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)