OUTWARD BOUND AND DELINQUENCY - A TEN-YEAR EXPERIENCE (FROM OUTWARD BOUND IN CORRECTIONS - A COMPILATION, 1977 - SEE NCJ-66107)

• NCJ Number: 66108
• Author(s): F J KELLY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Colorado Outward Bound School
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: A PAPER PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE ON EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, ESTES PARK, COLORADO, OCTOBER, 1974

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WILDERNESS TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MASSACHUSETTS DELINQUENTS IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

IN 1964, FIVE SELECTED DELINQUENTS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICE WAS SENT ON SCHOLARSHIP TO A COLORADO SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM CALLED 'OUTWARD BOUND.' AFTER RECEIVING GLOWING REPORTS OF THE EXPERIENCE FROM THE FIVE BOYS AND OBSERVING SUBSEQUENT BEHAVIORAL AND ATTITUDINAL CHANGES, 40 DELINQUENTS WERE SELECTED TO ATTEND THE FOLLOWING SUMMER, WITH THE PROMISE THAT THEY WOULD BE RELEASED TO THEIR HOMES UPON RETURN. FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM, THE SAMPLE OF 40 WAS STUDIED TO DETERMINE THEIR RECIDIVISM RATE. ONLY 10 PERCENT HAD RECIDIVATED AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS WHEN BASE EXPECTANCY RATES WOULD HAVE DICTATED RECIDIVISM FOR ABOUT A THIRD OF THE GROUP. TO CONFIRM THE VALUE OF THE OUTWARD BOUND PROGRAM FOR DELINQUENTS AS A WHOLE, TWO RANDOMLY SELECTED GROUPS OF ADOLESCENT DELINQUENTS WERE COMPARED IN TERMS OF RECIDIVISM RATES. ONE GROUP OF 60 ATTENDED OUTWARD BOUND AND A MATCHED CONTEMPORANEOUS GROUP OF 60 WAS TREATED IN A ROUTINE MANNER. RESULTS SHOWED A 20 PERCENT RECIVIDISM RATE IN THE OUTWARD BOUND GROUP COMPARED TO A 42 PERCENT RATE IN THE COMPARISON GROUP. BASED UPON THESE FINDINGS, THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES INSTITUTED ITS OWN WILDERNESS TRAINING PROGRAM, CALLED 'HOMEWARD BOUND.' THE WILDERNESS TRAINING PROGRAM SUCCESS IS THEORIZED TO BE RELATED TO THE NEED OF ADOLESCENT MALES TO UNDERGO PUBERTY RITES THAT ESTABLISH A MASCULINE IDENTITY SEPARATE FROM THE MOTHER FIGURE IN THEIR OWN MINDS AND IN THE PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PEERS. WHEREAS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR FREQUENTLY FILLS THIS NEED IN ADOLESCENT PEER GROUPS, WILDERNESS TRAINING PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE RITUAL. THE MASCULINE THEORY MUST EITHER BE QUESTIONED OR EXPANDED TO THE HUMAN CONDITION HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FINDING THAT FEMALES ALSO PROFIT FROM WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE. THE NEED FOR FOLLOW-UP EXPERIENCES TO REINFORCE WILDERNESS TRAINING ARE SUGGESTED BY THE FINDING THAT WILDERNESS TRAINING PARTICIPANTS APPROACHED THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF THE CONTROL GROUP BY THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR AFTER RELEASE. (RCB)