There are many other outward bound programs, yes they had a death at their florida Troubled TEEN facility. However most of their trips last anywhere from 8-28 days and are for families and individuals who want a "wilderness" experience.
The fact of the matter is that troubled teens is an industry and many companies like outward bound who didnt offer troubled teen programs before are now being roped into getting contracts with the department of juvenile justice as "wilderness therapy".
With ANY program that anyone gets involved with, the most important thing to remember is that if in any way you feel your SAFETY is compromised, then natually you remove yourself from the situation. Then you s h o u l d report what made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe to the head people of the organization.
Naturally, with any program or camp there is inherent risk. The difference is percieved risk verses actual risk. If you are going rock climbing, the percieved risk is that it is very dangerous and you could get hurt, fall and die. The actual risk with rock climbing is very low. The ropes are designed to hold weights up to 1 ton and even more. The ropes are tested for breaking strength before they are put on the market. The equipment such as harnesses, belay devices, anchors, and caribeaners are also tested for breaking strength. All will hold things like tractor trailer trucks.
The important thing to remember when considering risking your life is your safety. You may want to check your equipment for any signs of damage. Check a helmet for cracks, check your bike for chain and gear problems, check the brakes of a bicycle if you are on a bicycle trip.
Camping and trail hiking and biking is a great pasttime. The difference between you doing it on your own and/or placing your child in a situation are the people involved. If a company hires people who are not qualified to perform the duties other than a glorified babysitter, the outcome is going to be that of a glorified babysitter, placing your child at more actual risk than percieved risk.
Proper use of equipment does not cause death, its human error and lack of knowledge in how to use equipment. Again I reiterate that i dont endorse any Troubled TEEN program as i know that there are unqualified staff at these programs.
[ This Message was edited by: mbnh31782 on 2006-06-30 16:33 ]