Making An Impact - recreation cures antisocial behavior

Cure for Antisocial Behavior Found

LEISUREVILLE, USA -- Leisure researchers at Leisureville Laboratories have developed a cure for antisocial behavior through the building of resiliency using recreation experiences.

After five years of experimenting with various theories of resiliency and recreation formats, the researchers have identified seven resiliency skills that reduce an individual's inclination to engage in antisocial behavior: independence, insight, initiative, relationships, humor, creativity, and values orientation.

Further, they have found that these skills can be developed through any type of recreation program that uses a variety of formats and designs. The keys to successfully building resiliency through recreation programs are commitment and continuity of professional staff, long-term programming efforts, a focus on developing lifestyles rather than ameliorating problems, continuous follow-up, multifaceted services, and a focus on prevention and development.

The Association of Mayors and City Administrators has endorsed these findings as a breakthrough in dealing with the escalating problems in communities and cities nationwide.

An AMCA executive said, "It is encouraging to find an existing public service that is directly addressing the problems we all face today. Too many times we hear of new cures or approaches that result in an expanded infrastructure, which costs the taxpayers additional dollars for a service that is generally unproven in local settings.

"Recreation is a service that exists in most communities and cities; therefore, we do not have to ask our constituents to support a new service but rather real firm our commitment for an effective service we already financially support. By maintaining our recreation systems, we can provide a cost-effective means of dealing with a major problem confronting us all."

Although this news story is fictitious, our profession has the knowledge and wherewithal to make it a reality. We could be positioned as one of the primary public services addressing real and significant social problems, but we have been asked too often to justify our existence.

Crompton and Witt (1997) have suggested that one of the primary reasons we are continually asked for this justification is that public officials and other stakeholders do not view the activities of recreation professionals in the same light as they view other public services. The position of park and recreation services that exists in the minds of stakeholders is one of relatively discretionary, nonessential services. They are nice to have if they can be afforded after the important, essential services have been funded (p. 81).

The pressing rectification of this perception can only be accomplished by presenting a common message of the impact of our profession in terms that are easily understood and viewed as significant by our stakeholders. To accomplish this task, the profession must clarify its position on several key issues.

Benefits Categories

Tremendous strides have been made over the past decade to send a clear message to our stakeholders. The Benefits movement in the United States and the Benefits-driven approach in Canada have initiated this communication with the benefits of what we do as a profession. Comprehensive lists of benefits, under the major headings of individual, community, environmental, and economic, have been identified and suggested as positive outcomes of park and recreation services.

This has been helpful in changing the position of our services in the minds of the general public and public officials. However, the breadth of benefits -- and the various approaches to achieving these benefits -- have left the recreation professional somewhat bewildered and overwhelmed. What type of program achieves which benefits, and with which participants? Greater clarity and guidance is needed within all four major areas of benefits. The focus of this article will be on individual benefits.

Intent of Recreation Services

Before discussing approaches to developing individual benefits, there must be a clarification of the intent of recreation services. Is the intent to fill time, to serve as an outlet from stressful situations, or to serve as a diversion from antisocial activities? Or is the intent developmental in nature?

Although many professionals believe that recreation services are developmental because they have the potential for changing participants' behavior and attitudes, some would suggest that the role of recreation is primarily diversionary. Although there is merit to this latter position, especially when programs are well-organized and professionally led, it is generally not a viable strategy for repositioning the profession. This strategy simply ignores the potential impact of the services themselves. From the perspective of repositioning, the developmental value of recreation services must be emphasized. In terms of recreation programs, professionals must identify goals that are viewed as significant by constituents and public officials. These benefits must then be clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

In addition, the developmental approach to recreation services supports building upon a person's assets or strengths. Regardless of the problems facing an individual, there are certain skills and attitudes that should be developed to help him or her become a more productive and satisfied citizen. Further, the development of these assets will have a positive effect on reducing or eradicating existing problems. The development of these skills and attitudes should become the overarching goal of recreation professionals who focus on individual development issues.

Much has been written about recreation services needing to more directly address the problems people are facing in their communities. Issues of poverty, drug abuse, crime, violence, depression, and illiteracy have all received considerable attention in professional journals as well as among the popular media. Certainly, youth violence has shattered our sense of civility and order. And no other issue has more effectively brought together communities and diverse groups. The profession cannot and should not ignore these issues. Instead, it must reposition itself to address them from a positive, prodevelopment perspective.

A deficit, or problem-resolution, approach to recreation services does not support the structure and mission of the recreation profession. This strategy implies a complete understanding of the origin of various difficulties and problem areas. Further, it suggests a prescriptive programming approach where program content and format is designed to directly address the deficiencies or problems that an individual faces.

Problem resolution, although a predominant model for program intervention in many public services, does not appear to be extremely useful in a municipal recreation setting. Inadequate resources and manpower prevent the establishment of prescriptive programs to address the problems or deficiencies that face all constituents in a community. Municipal recreation agencies, therefore, should position themselves primarily as a preventative rather than a rehabilitative service.

Although it would seem most advantageous to approach recreation services from a preventative perspective, there is also a place for rehabilitative services within our professional repertoire. Certainly, therapeutic recreation specialists are providing services from a rehabilitative perspective, and they are working in municipal and nonclinical settings. But, for the majority of services offered in a municipal setting, a preventative philosophy would best serve the citizens and community.

The old adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" still appears to be appropriate today. Further, the developmental position stated previously suggests that certain skills and attitudes would be developed or enhanced through recreation services, mitigating negative or antisocial behaviors. Therefore, a preventative perspective is more consistent with the developmental approach to service delivery. Politically it places the profession in a much stronger position with public officials.

Assuming a developmental/preventative approach, the profession must consider which developmental skills and attitudes can be addressed through recreation services. Recreation as a human service has identified a broad scope of skills, attitudes, and outcomes -- everything from improving self-esteem to enhancing physical fitness to appreciating and preserving the environment to growing the local economy. With certain participants and program types, all of these can be appropriate. However, the development of resiliency skills and attitudes is being advocated to provide more clarity, focus, and direction to recreation services.

Resiliency Framework

Resiliency can be most simply defined as the "ability to effectively cope with and adjust and respond to the problems, issues, and circumstances that face an individual in everyday life" (Allen, Stevens, Hurtes & Harwell, 1998). Garmezy (1991) characterizes resiliency as the ability to bounce back, rebound, or recover. Initial research into resiliency sought to answer three basic questions. Under a given set of circumstances, who thrives? Under the same circumstances, who does not thrive? Why?

Thus, resiliency research focuses on the strengths of individuals to overcome or cope with stressful situations or risky circumstances. Numerous authors have identified characteristics of resilient individuals, many of which can be readily addressed or developed through recreation services. These characteristics include:

* Insight, independence, creativity, humor, initiative, relationships, and values orientation (Wolin & Wolin, 1993).

* Maturity, information-seeking, positive anticipation, healthy relationships, decisive risk-taking, conviction of being loved, altruism, and optimism/hope (Mrazek & Mrazek, 1987).

* Problem-solving skills, optimism, ability to gain positive attention, autonomy, perception of life as meaningful, proactivity, and interest in novel experiences (Rak & Patterson, 1996).

* Optimism, coping ability, self-efficacy, goals orientation, personal responsibility, and internal expectations (McMillan & Reed, 1994).

Many human services have adopted some form of resiliency approach to working with clients. The health professions have the notion of hardiness (Kobasa, 1981). Social workers claim the strengths approach (Saleebey, 1992). In community-based intervention as well as recreation, there are the developmental assets (Benson, 1993, 1997). Instead of focusing on what is wrong or missing, each of these strategies focuses on what is right with people.

Resiliency skills are identified by recreation programmers as goals for their programs. Resiliency skills construct a framework for establishing various recreation programs regardless of individual needs or problems. These skills can be universally applied in many different settings. This eliminates the need to develop individualized programs based upon specific needs or deficiencies. Given our present resources, such individualized programming is virtually impossible.

While various resiliency authorities identify many different skills, they all support the same basic concepts and strengths. After much analysis and debate, the authors of this article have chosen the skills presented by Wolin and Wolin (1993) as having clear application for the parks and recreation profession. In essence, at least one of these skills can be addressed in virtually every recreation program offered to the public. Therefore, the skills may become a common framework for program development and give the profession clarity of purpose and message.

The seven skills, as presented by Wolin and Wolin (1993), each with an example of its application to recreation programs:

Independence -- The ability to balance being true to oneself and accommodating the concerns of others. The ability and willingness to distance oneself from negative situations and influences present in the environment. Through a sense of independence, a positive orientation to the future is developed.

Example: Encourage independence of thought through teen forums, debates, or informal discussions; mentoring programs; and other program formats that lend themselves to informal conversation. Within any sports practice or other class-structured recreation experience, consistently encourage and reward personal responsibility and conviction.

Initiative -- The desire and determination to take charge of one's own life. Desire to improve one's surrounding. One's ability to cope with what is unchangeable. See the world as a series of solvable challenges.

Example: Ask each participant what he or she would like to do today, and follow his or her plan. Have each participant plan a session for the recreation program he or she is attending. Allow participants to lead an activity or part of a session. Offer challenges that participants can conquer with moderate effort and forethought. Youth boards and councils, recreation committees, and neighborhood recreation councils are all excellent for developing individual and group initiative.

Insight -- The ability to read situations, people, and subtle nuances of both verbal and nonverbal communication. The ability to assume appropriate behavior in any situation. An established sense of curiosity and the willingness to ask searching questions.

Example: Ask participants to analyze a situation or event (what happened, and why?) that occurred within a recreation session.

Relationships -- Ability to establish and maintain honest, supportive relationships with peers, family members, and role models. Ability to remove oneself from codependent relationships.

Example: Within all recreation experiences, develop opportunities for meaningful dialogue among participants, leaders, and mentors. Establish an atmosphere of mutual respect and sociability for all experiences. Focus on building and using basic social skills where appropriate. Create situations in which participants must work together in a meaningful way.

Creativity -- The ability to generate options and alternatives to cope with stressful situations. The ability to entertain oneself or use creative expression.

Example: Set up problem-solving situations that require participants to form "creative" solutions. Ask participants for different ways to approach a practice session or activity. Promote the unusual, creative element to all recreation experiences. Encourage freedom of thought and independence.

Humor -- The ability to find the "lighter side" of life. The ability to accept where you are and enjoy it. The ability to laugh at yourself.

Example: Encouraging the fun and enjoyment of all recreation experiences should be a given.

Values orientation -- An internalized sense of right and wrong. The desire to live a good and productive life.

Example: Have participants establish self-governing policies and rules. With youth programs, take the time to discuss situations and circumstances that arise.

As you can see from these examples, the focus is placed on the development of the individual, not "success" at the particular activity. However, in the vast majority of cases, success is achieved.

Further, every recreation experience provides the leader with the opportunity to "process" situations (planned or serendipitous) that occur during a session. Each situation can be discussed in relation to the seven skill areas.

Processing involves discussing situations that arise within an event or program, interpreting their significance to participants, and identifying their meaning or application to other aspects of life. It is a normal element of adventure programs and some sports programs, but it could be broadened to include all recreation experiences.

There is not a single recreation program -- everything from sports practices to the woodworking class -- that cannot address and develop at least one of these seven resiliency skills. They are universal; everyone can benefit from developing them. For example, resiliency has served as the programming framework for the NRPA-sponsored Benefits-Based Programming projects.

Some would argue that this type of responsibility should not be placed upon recreation services because recreation is good for its own sake. Certainly, it is valuable in its own right, but recreation is capable of going beyond fun and games. Recreation has the unique opportunity to reach certain populations that are wary of other human-service interventions. For example, young people who are unwilling to attend a conflict-management class might attend a basketball practice where the same skills can be taught within the resiliency framework.

If recreation is to be considered a public service, we must argue a greater public good as a result of our services. Not only is recreation capable of being developmental rather than simply diversionary, as a public service its fulfillment is a professional obligation. The building of resiliency skills and attitudes allows the profession to honor this obligation.

References

Allen, L.R., B. Stevens, K. Hurtes, and R. Harwell. 1998. Benefits-Based Programming of Recreation Services: Training Manual Ashburn, VA: National Recreation and Park Association.

Benson, P.L. 1993. The Troubled Journey: A Portrait of 6th- to 12th-Grade Youth. Minneapolis: Search Institute.

Benson, P.L. 1997. All Kids Are Our Kids: How We Can Create Healthy Communities for Children and Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Crompton, J.L., and P.A. Witt. 1997. "Repositioning: The Key to Building Community Support." Parks & Recreation 32 (10): 80-90.

Garmezy, N. 1991. "Resilience in Children's Adaptation to Negative Life Events and Stressed Environments." Pediatric Annals 20: 459-66.

Kobasa, S.C. 1981. The Hardy Personality: Toward a Social Psychology of Health and Illness. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

McMillan, J.H., and D.F. Reed. 1994. "At-Risk Students and Resiliency: Factors Contributing to Academic Success." The Clearing House 67 (3): 137-40.

Mrazek. P.J., and D. Mrazek. 1987. "Resiliency in Maltreatment Victims: A Conceptual Exploration." Child Abuse and Neglect 11: 357-65.

Rak, C.F., and L.E. Patterson. 1996. "Promoting Resilience in At-Risk Children." Journal of Counseling and Development 74: 368-73.

Saleebey, D. (ed.) 1992. The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice. White Plains, N.Y.: Longman.

Wolin, S., and S.J. Wolin. 1993. The Resilient Self: How Survivors of Troubled Families Rise Above Adversity. New York, N.Y.: Villard Books.

What can we do to alter the perception that parks and recreation is a nonessential service? Present community stakeholders with a common and easily understood message of our profession's impact on society, say Clemson University's Karen Hurtes, M.S., a Ph.D. student; Bonnie Stevens, Ph.D., the director of the American Humanics program and a faculty member in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management; and Lawrence R. Allen, Ph.D., the associate dean of the College of Health, Education and Human Development and a professor of PRTM. Sounds simple enough, right? First, the profession must clarify its position on several key issues (p. 68).

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