Abstract
Domestic violence is a tragedy in the lives of thousands of women. Traditional interventions and resources available to battered women include seeking safety in a shelter, individual and group counseling, support groups, employment assistance, self care, and legal assistance (Domestic violence shelter staff, personal communication, January 23, 2008; Shostack, 2001). Few of the resources available to victims of domestic violence include any participation in outdoor activity. Researchers have identified the benefits associated with outdoor activity in the lives of battered women, specifically adventure therapy used in conjunction with pre-existing interventions (Israel, 1989; Kelly, 2006; Miki, 2004; Oliver, 1988; Pfirman, 1988; Ross, 1996). This project examined and identified the level of need and desire for an adventure therapy program uniquely designed for battered women staying in California shelters. Data was gathered through telephone surveys conducted with shelter staff members at 40 California shelters serving battered women. Using a Likert scale of 1 (no need) to 7 (definite need) shelter staff members reported a mean level of need as 2.94. When asked their level of interest for an adventure therapy program in members reported a mean level of interest as 5.85. Shelter staff stated their low level of need was heavily based upon their current lack of funding, but they would consider an adventure therapy program if the programmer approached them with a pre-planned and fully funded program. In addition to identifying the level of need, this project detailed services currently offered by California shelters, examined key elements to planning and implementing a successful adventure therapy program with battered women, and outlined possible challenges and benefits to such a program.