Therapeutic Potential of the Outward Bound Process: An Evaluation of a Treatment Program for Juvenile Delinquents

Authors

  • Alan N. Wright

Keywords:

delinquency, outward bound, wilderness, self-concept, fitness, problem-solving, locus of control

Abstract

An evaluation was conducted of the effects of an adapted Outward Bound program on delinquent youth. Specifically the study measured the program's effects on the selfesteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, cardiovascular fitness, and problem-solving skills of the participants. Individuals were assigned to an experimental group and a control group through a random process existent within the referral system of the agency. Experimental subjects participated in the 26-day wilderness treatment program. The control group subjects were waiting for placement in the program.

The Tennessee Self Concept: Scale, modified Internal-External Scale, Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale, and modified Harvard Step Test were administered to both groups as a pretest and posttest. The Means-Ends Problem-Solving Procedure was given to the experimental group at the pretest and posttest.

The analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control group in self-esteem (p<.Ol), internality (p<.Ol), and fitness (p<.05) at the end of the wilderness program. The experimental subjects were found to show a significant increase in self-esteem (p<.OOl), self-efficacy (p<.Ol), internality (p<.OOl), and fitness (p<.OOl) between the beginning and the end of the program. The experimental group, however, showed no gain at all in problem-solving skills.

Issue

Section

Programming