The Effects of a Challenge Course Program on Harmful Risk-Taking Behaviors Among College Students

ABSTRACT\ud THE EFFECTS OF A CHALLENGE COURSE PROGRAM ON\ud HARMFUL RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS\ud AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS\ud by\ud Amy Rebecca Conroy\ud Master of Arts in Recreation\ud California State University, Chico\ud Spring 2011\ud The purpose of this study was to examine the effects a challenge course program has on decreasing the prevalence of substance abuse, reckless driving, and sexual promiscuity among college students. These negative risk-taking behaviors were evaluated due to their ramifications for individual development and college campus culture. Due to the interplay of risk and developmental growth known to be part of challenge course programs, it was selected as the treatment in this study.\ud Using a Pearson chi-square analysis, the treatment group of 48 participants were compared to a control group of 65 participants (N=113) in their relative risk taking behaviors. Data was collected using an adapted version of the ???Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.??? There were two statistically significant findings in this research; binge drinking and marijuana use. In binge drinking (p < .001), the strongest difference\ud between these two groups was found in the number of treatment group participants who did not engage in binge drinking at all in the past 30 days. In the treatment group this accounted for 72.9 percent of the respondents compared to the control group where only 20 percent did not engage in binge drinking in the last 30 days. The second significant finding was associated with marijuana use (p < .001), where 81.3 percent of the treatment group did not smoke marijuana in the last 30 days, compared to 43.1 percent of the control group.\ud These two significant findings showcase challenge course programs??? ability to enhance the cognitive, psycho-social, and biological development of young adults. While this study can only be viewed as an exploratory one because of its post-test only design, it shows that students who are identified as ???at-risk??? or who have self-declared an addiction could gain from participation in a challenge course program with regard to their developmental needs of risk taking, language development, and self-discovery.\ud Simultaneously, this data can inspire the design of challenge course programs with individuals who have ???aged out??? of the adolescent stage, thus being older than 25 years, but continue to struggle with substance abuse, life choices, problem solving skills, and identity. Adopting this research to better serve individuals in treatment and recovery settings, domestic violence situations, and the criminal justice system could yield significant findings. Future recommendations include a pre/post study design within these groups of ???aged out??? participants, as well as the college student population.\ud Capturing the opportunity to serve participants in a variety of capacities, challenge course programs build character, personal strength, identity, and push each\ud participant to a personal level of disequilibrium where true change can take place. Overall, this research concludes that engaging adolescents and young adults with positive risk-taking activities such as a challenge course can benefit their overall health and growth.CSU, Chic