1.2.4 - Responses To Risk
1.2.4 - Responses To Risk
1.2.4 - Responses To Risk
4-
Personal responses to risk in outdoor
experiences
KK- the variety of personal responses to risk when
experiencing outdoor environments, including the
interplay between competence, perceived risk and
real risk
KS- compare a range of personal responses to risk
when experiencing outdoor environments
Only those who will risk going too far can
possibly find out how far they can go.
—T.S. Eliot, 1931
RISK – Good and Bad…
When we see the word ‘risk’ we more often see it as something inherently bad.
We often try to avoid risk wherever we can- taking steps, both individually and as a society, to
reduce the risks associated with many parts of our daily lives. However, there are risks that
can be good for us as humans.
Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be challenging, but it has been proven to have
great benefits for our confidence and sense of self-worth, and provide other psychological
benefits.
We feel better about ourselves when we can face a risky, challenging situation and succeed
at it. And if we don’t succeed? Learning about failure can also help us.
If the risky situation is managed well, an initial failure may
encourage us to try again.
WHAT IS RISK?
Risk is the potential to lose something that you value measured
against the possibility of gaining something you value.
Read pg.94
CASE STUDY:
A school caving incident and media: A dangerous mix!
On Monday 25 August 1997 a female student was stretchered from a cave at Shiprock Falls,
approximately 13 kilometres from Gembrook.
The media coverage that resulted was significant, with the incident being covered on all three commercial
television stations, the Herald Sun, the Age, local papers and on mainstream radio news.
Watch – the news coverage of the incident
Read – the story of the incident from the teacher's perspective
Respond – answer the following in your book
1. Using examples from the case study, discuss the three different types of risks.
2. Describe your personal response to the risks involved in the activity of caving.
3. How may personal responses to the risks involved in caving be influenced by the media
coverage of this incident?
4. What role did level of competence in caving play in the this incident?
MITIGATING RISK
Response to tragedy by authorities such as local, state or federal governments, and statutory bodies such as
Parks Victoria, usually involves the imposition of regulations.
Often, such regulations take the form of training, staff:student ratios and registration requirements.
Such as in canoeing (AAAS- inland water paddlecraft)
Another response is to restrict access. For
example, at Hanging Rock in Central Victoria,
rock climbing has been banned in part because
of the risk to other users of the area from
dislodged rocks and debris.
Sometimes sites are closed
altogether.
Work Requirement
1. Define the term ‘risk’.
2. Describe three benefits of participating in activities that
involve a degree of risk.
3. Using your own examples from an outdoor experience
this year, distinguish between the three types of risk.
4. Explain the interplay between competence, perceived
risk and real risk.
5. Compare two different responses you have experienced
when participating in an outdoor recreational activity.
6. Describe what is meant by the concept of peak
experience?