The effect of an adventure-based recreation programme (ropes course) on the development of resiliency in atrisk adolescent boys confined to a rehabilitation centre

Abstract

The quality of recreation programmes can be instrumental in mastering certain life skills that facilitate successful transition into adulthood. Due to the increasing pressure to serve at-risk adolescents in this transition process into adulthood, schools and educational centres are faced with the major challenge of providing interventions appropriate to their needs. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of an outdoor adventure-based recreation programme (ropes course) on the resiliency of at-risk adolescent boys confined to a rehabilitation centre. A ropes course programme was offered to 46 adolescent boys with an average age of 16. These boys experienced behavioural and/or emotional problems, and were referred to the centre in terms of the stipulations of the Child Care Act (1983). The control group consisted of 60 boys, and averaged 15.4 years of age. The research instrument was a questionnaire (The Shortened Protective Factor Scale), developed and piloted by Witt et al. (1996). This questionnaire assesses resiliency through the improvement of “protective factors”. The questionnaire was administered in the form of pre- and post-tests to both groups. Results showed that the post-test scores of the experimental group increased highly significantly (p<0.01) for seven of the ten protective factors. The post-test scores for one protective factor improved significantly (p<0.05). The findings of this study demonstrate the potential power of adventure-based recreation programming in developing resiliency in at-risk adolescent boys.

South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation Vol. 28(1) 2006: 1-11