Constraints affecting adolescent girls' continued participation at resident camp

Abstract

Although there are many benefits of being in the outdoors and attending camp, many girls cease participation in camp (ACAb, 2008; Easter Seals, 2008). The purpose of this study was to determine the specific constraints that inhibit adolescent girls continued participation in a resident camp. Two types of surveys were administered, a mail-back survey to girls that no longer attended Camp Oakledge and a group administered survey to girls that attended Camp Oakledge in the summer of 2008.Constraint theory was the basis of this research. A constraint has been defined as "a factor that limits or inhibits participation in a given leisure pursuit," (Raymore, Godbey, Crawford, and van Eye (1993; p. 99) while Jackson (1988; p. 69) defined a constraint as a, "subset of reasons for not engaging in a particular behavior." There are three types of constraints; intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural (Alfadhil, 1996). Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science 16.0 (SPSS). Results from the independent sample t-tests between the girls who stopped attending camp and the girls who attended camp in the summer of 2008, indicated the top constraint in each category were homesickness, not having a friend to go back to camp with and not having a scholarship. Results from this study may provide some beneficial information to the Girl Scouts to understand non-participation in a camp settings as well as strategies to alleviate some of these constraints.