Self-esteem: The use of an Adventure Environment to optimize self-esteem.

In life there are numerous areas that can effect how we look back on ourselves. Whether it is how we feel around others, how we think about our own image or relationships at home. These are part of a greater concept known as ‘Self-esteem’. However, it is still difficult to understand how to improve this.

Firstly we need to understand what self-esteem is. It has been described as the difference between what the individual wishes to achieve and what the individual actually achieves (James, 1890). It has also said to be one of the most important elements of school pupils’ psychological wellbeing. In some cases it has been said that working on self-esteem has not be done enough in the adventure environment. However, Priest and Gass (2005) have shown extensive research that enhancements in self-esteem have happened in an environment rather than in a didactic situation.

It has been said that interactions between adults and youths today happens less; as there has been an increase in single parent house holds and due to budget cuts by the government, schools have been unable to meet the needs of their students.

This leads to more and more children going to adventure and wilderness therapy camps, who aim to create more opportunities for the children so that they can learn and adapt to new environments, therefore gaining more self satisfaction. These programs aim to increase self-esteem, refection, risk taking and social experiences (Bandenoch, 1984).

In these sessions, the facilitator should aim to make the tasks cooperative and not competitive, as the aims are to build self-esteem. Competitive sessions will always result in having a “loser”. Winning may build on ones self-esteem however the “loser’s” self-esteem is likely to drop. Whereas, if the facilitator utilises a cooperative task, the sense of achievement can be enough to increase self-esteem.

Finding a session with enough perceived risk for participants with lower self-esteem, so they feel the challenge but the facilitator knows the actual risk of the activity could be focused on less but not forgotten. An obstacle course can be a good example of this. These courses often need to be competed by working in teams. This increases social interactions, which is a skill needed in everyday life (Moote, 1997).

Although traditional therapy has its place and works for many people, people react to therapy in different ways or don’t react to it at all. This is where adventure therapy can come in. A recent study by Crisp & Hinch (2004) took 39 adolescents that had not been responding to traditional therapy. A significant amount of them (36) were ‘at risk’. After sessions in adventure therapy there was a reduction in mental heath symptoms and an increase in self-esteem.

It seems that from literature reviewed that allowing a person with lower self esteem complete something which they may perceive is hard and risky in an adventure setting has made a significant impact on their confidence and therefore increasing their self-esteem. 

References and Further readings:


Bandenoch, 1984, In. Harper, N.J. A mixed methods examination of family involvement in adolescent wilderness therapy. Minnesota University.

Crisp, S.J.R. and Hinch, C., 2004. Treatment effectiveness of wilderness adventure therapy: a comprehensive evaluation. Melbourne: Neo psychology publications.

James (1890). (cited in Bunyan, P. 2005. Towards the Measurement of Social Self-Esteem in the Adventure Environment. University of Southampton: unpublished PHD thesis.)

Moote, J.R., Woodarki, G.T., and John. S., 1997. The acquisition of life skills through adventure activities and programs. Adolescence, 32(125), pp.143.


Priest, A. and Gass, M.A. (2005). Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming (2nd Ed.) Champaign IL. Human Kinetics.