KEY POINTS OF RESEARCH ON WILDERNESS THERAPY AND RELATED ISSUES
Adjudicated youth who go to jail instead of completing a wilderness program are two to three times more likely to commit additional crimes (Davis-Berman & Berman, 1994).

Wilderness therapy programs take less time and have better outcomes than other forms of residential treatment (Russell, 2001). Longitudinal research shows that wilderness therapy has excellent long-term results (Russell, 2002).

WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAMS SIGNIFICANTLY:

• improve self-concept
  
• reduce aggressive  and self-destructive behavior
• enhance an internal locus of control
  
• improve general family functioning
  
• build interpersonal skills
  
• increase the ability to form healthy relationships
  (Cason & Gillis, 1994; Sachs & Miller, 1992; Russell, 1999; Sakofs, 1991)

SAFETY
Due to the nature of the adventure based therapy, the physical risks associated with the activities are of great concern to parents and staff. The goal of adventure therapy is not to put participants in dangerous positions but in states of perceived risk. From a risk management perspective: in the year 2000 a camper participating in structured adventure based activities was:

• 27 times less likely to be injured than if participating in a school sports program
• 13 time less likely to be injured than if participating in organized games
• 6 times less likely to be injured than when playing on playground equipment
• 2 times less likely to be injured than when playing at home