Risk-taking behavior in campers.

Dear Bob,

A tragic event happened recently that involved two boys from the same hometown who have attended our camp for three years. The boys sneaked into a cement plant after school and jumped into piles of gravel and sand. Unbeknownst to the boys, the gravel piles were situated over a huge hopper that suddenly began dispensing the material onto a conveyer belt and into a vat that was mixing concrete. The boys began to be sucked into the vortex of the gravel. One of the boys managed to escape, but the other was crushed and seriously hurt. The local fire chief, who was part of the rescue effort, was quoted as saying, "Kids will be kids, but their behavior shouldn't lead them into harm's way."

I have heard you talk about risk-taking behavior as a central part of the camp experience, but I am not sure how that squares with an experience like this one. Can you shed some light on this tendency in children and what camp directors should or should not be doing about it?

Sincerely, Mulling in Massachusetts

Dear Mulling,

I do view risk-taking behavior as an essential part of growing up. After all, going off to camp for the first time - whether day or resident camp - is a risk in itself. Risk-taking is, in my experience, the way that children expand their horizons, learn about new worlds, stretch themselves beyond their current sense of their own abilities, and, in short, gain mastery over new challenges. Those of us who have a fair amount of experience with children know that those who take no or minimal risks are often fearful, overly shy, suffer from developmental delays, and have a low opinion of themselves. Indeed, from all we know about the development of self-esteem in children, those children who engage in successful, healthy risk-taking are the ones whose self-esteem tends to be strongest and most resilient.

One of the keys to understanding the importance of risk-taking behavior in young people is to know that some risks are healthy and promote growth and mastery and others are unhealthy and dangerous. My intuition and experience tell me that when children are not presented with the opportunity for taking risks in well-managed, supervised settings, they will invent or engage in risk-taking activities that are often dangerous, which can lead to tragic outcomes much like the one you describe in your letter. Unhealthy risk-taking can occur in a variety of forms - hopping trains, smoking cigarettes, excessive dieting, or drinking alcohol.

One specific aspect of risk-taking is the attempt at mastery. Fear is often an underlying dynamic in this aspect. Children who experience trauma, for example, or who are repeatedly exposed to a frustrating situation in which they feel powerless may attempt to counteract or neutralize that sense of powerlessness by engaging in some activity that gives them a sense of power or control. Sometimes this is like trying to gain mastery over their fear. For example, teens who scare themselves silly by watching horror movies may be attempting to master their fears of intimacy. The technical term for this is counter phobic behavior, or counter phobic risk-taking. Boys tend to engage in high-stakes counter phobic behaviors, such as jumping out of trees or diving from great heights into water. Girls tend to confine their risk-taking in the realm of relationships, such as being powerful or controlling within a peer group.

Risk taking occurs in the physical arena of camp, such as rock climbing or high elements ropes courses, and also in relationships and emotions. In fact, this is where the bulk of camp experience lies - in getting along in the bunk or group, in admitting mistakes, and in owning up to one's part in an interpersonal conflict. I find that, while camps are generally better at dealing with the process of helping young people cooperate and coexist than most schools, more could be done in this area. Counselors can conduct short bunk or group meetings while supporting and encouraging campers to make new friends, apologize for some impulsive behavior, or open up about each other's vulnerabilities. These are all great ways to present healthy risk-taking opportunities for campers in the sphere of relationships and emotions.

So what else can campers do to better facilitate healthy risk-taking among campers? Here are several suggestions:

* Have a discussion with your staff about their risk-taking behavior. See if they can identify the motives for this, such as breaking the monotony or intensity of camp, fitting in, or feeling cool or more grown-up. Until your staff has some notion of their risk-taking habits, they will be less able to make good judgements about what is healthy and unhealthy to engage in with campers.

* Talk with parents about the importance of children taking healthy risks. Many parents are concerned about safety and may misunderstand the positive aspects of healthy risk-taking. Most parents would agree, however, that they want their children to have high self-esteem and to feel self-confident. This is exactly what successful, healthy risk-taking leads to.

* Present a wide range of activities that challenge children. Youngsters who claim they just want to hang out may feel pleased when they get their way, but they will leave camp feeling much less fulfilled and good about themselves (which will be reflected in your lower return rate!) than if they were encouraged, prodded, and supported in trying new things that stretched their patience, endurance, and perseverance.

* Encourage campers to try something new. Like the adults they emulate, young people tend to stick with what they are good at, thus cheating themselves of the growth that comes from being a novice. Being new at something is a great way to level the playing field, in that it reminds us all what it feels like to be uncertain, need help, and rely on others for support. Children who are parsimonious in their support of peers can benefit from trying an activity they have not mastered. Be prepared for some resistance since most children do not rush into activities where they might risk feeling uncertain or imperfect.

* Try something new at camp yourself. Nothing is more inspiring and credible to your counselors and campers than seeing you be human by doing some appropriate risk-taking yourself. Children frequently tell me how they resent when adults are not willing to be learners, too. Granted, you may be facing or attempting to master many things that staff and campers do not and should not necessarily know about. What I am referring to is something that you can be public about, something that models your expertise and willingness to be a learner - a healthy risk-taker. What better forum for this than camp!

Bob Ditter is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in child and adolescent treatment. Camp directors are invited to write to: Bob Ditter, "In the Trenches," 93 Union St., Ste. 307, Newton, MA 02159 or fax [phone]. Letters should be signed, although requests for confidentiality will be honored. "In the Trenches" is sponsored by American Income Life insurance.