Outdoor Education R&E Center

Risk, Challenge, & Safety
in Outdoor & Adventure Education & Recreation

James Neill
Last updated:
25 Oct 2006

Risk in theory

• About
• Risk of gain & loss
• Challenge
• Safety
• Risk quotes

Risk in practice

• Risk management
• Risk & safety statistics
• References
• Links

Risk quotes

Wei-jan:
Chinese for 'opportunity through danger'

As long as we wish for safety,
we will have difficulty pursuing what matters.
- Peter Block

Risk has a double-edged nature. 
Risk can cut, risk can heal.
- James Neill (after Hahn on Outward Bound)

More risk quotes...

About risk, safety & challenge in outdoor education

Much of the 'rawness' of natural outdoor adventure is removed by modern outdoor education programs. 

Professional outdoor education organizers weigh up potential safety risks and generally adhere to standard professional operating procedures which seek to strike a socially acceptable balance between the risk of loss (R-) and the risk of gain (R+) for the activities provided to participants.

During the 1960's-1990's there has been significant evolution in safety and risk management practices in outdoor education.  Much of this has been needed and welcome and has helped not only to improve safety, but also the overall quality of programs. 

However, the pendulum of safety concern in outdoor education has swung too far.  Many within outdoor education feel that particularly since the 1990's some feel there has been a curtailment in the human creativity and positive risk-taking aspects of outdoor education.  This has been driven at least partly by societal and legal issues about risk, liability, safety, etc. 

Today it takes bold professional passion, independent thinking and creative action to organize authentic outdoor adventure experiences.

What's new?

• MPs urge a £30m boost for outdoor school trips in England
  (BBC News, 10 February, 2005)
  

  A UK education committee is calling for a "champion" to promote outdoor activities and has asked a teachers' union to revoke its advice to not run trips because of fear of litigation if a child is injured.  "We have to get away from the culture of fear that has grown around school trips and introduce some element of common sense". The committee praised efforts in some other countries to provide outdoor learning.  For example, in Denmark, schools based in forests "used the natural environment to stimulate pupils" and "experience a carefully monitored element of risk".  Also see: Teachers stand firm on school trip guidance
  (The Independent, February, 2005)

• Teens want groovy, convenient exposure to risk experiences
  (Alex Hill, 3 April, 2005, Vail Daily)

Today's teenagers grew up in the 1990's - and they like to be exposed to risk-taking that is safe and convenient.  This was the message of Michael Wood, an expert in teenage psychology, in his presentation to the Snow Industry Summit, CO, USA.

• Executive attempts to calm fears over school trips in Scotland
  (Kevin Schofield, 31 December, 2004, The Scotsman)
  

  Fear of litigation risks seems to keeping a new generation of risk-averse teachers from organising trips to outdoor education centers in Scotland.  Following the Lyme Bay tragedy in which 4 teenagers drowned on school sea-kayaking trip, Britain has cracked down on outdoor safety standards.  Despite this, fears of litigation remain present in teacher's minds.

• Site management: The missing link
  (Paul Nicolazzo, 2004, outdoored.com)
  

  Describes a risk management  model which can be readily taught to field staff.

• What motivates a thrillseeker?
  (Meredith Goad, 24 May, 2004, Portland Press Herald)
  

  Psychologically, people lie on a continuum with regards to their desire to experience thrill through risk-taking.  Big T's tend to pursue risks in their careers, physical adventure, and are more susceptible to drug use, gambling and other risky behaviors.  Little T's assess risks differently and are more cautious.  Interestingly, this "sensation-seeking" personal attribute is about two-thirds genetically based.  There are also developmental patterns, with risk-taking peaking during adolescence and young adulthood, and lowering after people have children.

• More risk news...

Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

More Risk, Safety, & Challenge in Outdoor Education News

• Risk taking as an educational tool [.doc]
  (Marda G. Bureau, 1983, The Bradford Papers Online)
• Campaign for Adventure: Risk & enterprise in society
• Managing the risks, enjoying the experience: Where schools stand legally in regard to outdoor activities
  (Education Gazette, 83(3), 23 February, 2004, New Zealand)
• Special reports on the school trip crisis in the UK: Outdoor safety concerns and teacher jailings curtail educational opportunities
  (Guardian Unlimited, 2004)
• Union tells teachers to end all school trips
  (The Telegraph, UK, 19 Feb,2004)
• Participants sought for risk management survey
  (The Outdoor Network, 9 February, 2004)
• Building a risk management lexicon
  (Karen Paisley, Jim Sibthorp & Andy Szolosi, The Outdoor Network, 2003, 14(4), 1-4)
• Definitions of "Risk" on the web
  (Google Definitions)
• The wilderness incident investigative interview: Mitigating memory challenges utilizing the Enhanced Cognitive Interview (ECI) technique
  (Kris Wright & Kurt Merrill, 2002)
• Risk education: Guidance, support materials, lesson plans for teachers & lecturers
  (Health & Safety Executive, National Curriculum for England, 2000)
• New rules taking risk out of the outdoors
  (Dec 2, 2003, Hawkes Bay Today)
• Keeping kids in cotton wool
  (Dec 3, 2003, Hawkes Bay Today, Editorial)
• Outdoor & risk educational practices
  (Marni Goldberg, University of Minnesota) [pdf; .1MB]
• Risk fear sees colleges cut outdoor activities
  (Catherine Hubbard & NZPA, Marlborough Express, New Zealand, 27 November, 2003)
• Outdoor Safety.org
  (Rick Curtis, Princeton University, USA)
• UK outdoor industry tackles insurance issues
  (The Outdoor Network, November 6, 2003)
• Exploring the myths: Analysis of incidents and accidents in professional outdoor education in New Zealand, 1996 – 2000
  (Grant Davidson, Safe as Outside SPARC Risk 2002,  New Zealand Conference on Outdoors Risk Management; .3MB [.doc])
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) report analyzes student incident data
  (The Outdoor Network, 8 October, 2003)
• Fear of risk is as much a risk as risk itself
  (Tim Besley, 2002,The Age)
• Where has the adventure gone?  Bringing risk back into the outdoors
  (Neill, 2003, Keynote presentation to the Annual Outdoor Recreation Industry Council (ORIC) Conference, Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia, Oct 11-12)
• Handicap theory: An evolutionary perspective  on why we take risks
  (Conniff, 2001, Discover, 22(12)
• Risk management & program administration workshop descriptions
  (31st Annual Association for Experiential Education Conference, 2003)
• The psychology of big wave riding
  (Bennett & Kremer, 2002, Australian Conference of Science & Medicine in Sport)
• Risk taking as an educational tool
  (Bureau, 1983, Bradford Papers, .2 MB; .doc)
• School trips under threat as teacher is jailed for boy's death
  (The Guardian, UK, Sept 24, 2003)
• A new model for risk taking
  (Simon Priest)
• Best practices in outdoor education: What? Why? How?
  (Alistair McArthur)
• Is Outward Bound becoming too safe?
  (James Neill, 2002, Outward Bound International Newsletter)