Acceptable Risk versus Success & Competence

[smithy]

Hi
The question that has been given to me is;

The development of gross motor skills requires and element of risk taking behaviour in children. It also builds self esteem and competence. For this task you are required to research and present a short report considering the issues surrounding:
- acceptable risk versus safety
and
- acceptable risk versus success and competence

I understand there is need for a certain amount of risk for children to advance their gross motor skills. I just want to make sure i have the correct understanding for risk versus success and competence and that is for children to be willing to take risk in order to learn new skills and be confident and capable learners. Is this correct??

Also if anyone knows of good websites or books for this topic it would be a great help.

[Lorina]

Hey Smithy,

Yeah it sounds like you’re on the right track… I never thought of how children take acceptable risks for the development of gross motor skills…. So, it’s a good question to ask…LOL.

I did manage to find some info which I think puts the “acceptable risk” into perspective… This info should hopefully give you an idea on where to start with your report.

Acceptable and unacceptable risk

In any human activity, there is an element of risk. Three factors are central to determining whether or not the level of risk is acceptable or tolerable:
• the likelihood of coming to harm;
• the severity of that harm;
• the benefits, rewards or outcomes of the activity.

Judgements about the acceptability of risk are made on the basis of a risk assessment. Risk assessment and management are not mechanistic processes. They crucially involve making judgements about acceptability based on an understanding of the balance between risks and benefits. Even where there is a risk of fatal or permanent disabling injury, this risk may sometimes be tolerable. For instance, going paddling at the seaside involves an unavoidable risk of fatal injury, but this risk is tolerable for most people because in most circumstances the likelihood of coming to harm is very low and there are obvious benefits. Social and psychological factors are also important in risk assessment. Risks that are acceptable in one community may be unacceptable in another, and policies should take this into account.

Almost any environment contains hazards or sources of harm. In many cases the existence of hazards can be justified, perhaps because they are impossible to remove or perhaps because their removal would have undesirable consequences or be too costly. Where the existence of a hazard can be justified, measures should be in place to manage it. In a controlled environment such as a workplace or a playground, those responsible are required by law to identify, and make informed judgements about, the hazards to which people are exposed. They must take steps to ensure that the risks are managed and controlled so far as is reasonably practicable while allowing the potential benefits to be delivered.

Children and risk

All children both need and want to take risks in order to explore limits, venture into new experiences and develop their capacities, from a very young age and from their earliest play experiences. Children would never learn to walk, climb stairs or ride a bicycle unless they were strongly motivated to respond to challenges involving a risk of injury. Children with disabilities have an equal if not greater need for opportunities to take risks, since they may be denied the freedom of choice enjoyed by their non-disabled peers.

It is the job of all those responsible for children at play to assess and manage the level of risk, so that children are given the chance to stretch themselves, test and develop their abilities without exposing them to unacceptable risks. This is part of a wider adult social responsibility to children. If we do not provide controlled opportunities for children to encounter and manage risk then they may be denied the chance to learn these skills. They may also be more likely to choose to play in uncontrolled environments where the risks are greater.

Almost by definition, any injury is distressing for children and those who care for them. But exposure to the risk of injury, and experience of actual minor injuries, is a universal part of childhood. Such experiences also have a positive role in child development. When children sustain or witness injuries they gain direct experience of the consequences of their actions and choices, and through this an understanding of the extent of their abilities and competences. However, children deserve protection against fatal or permanently disabling injuries, to a greater degree than adults.

Children have a range of physical competences and abilities, including a growing ability to assess and manage risk which adults arguably tend to underestimate. However children typically have less experience than adults of assessing the broad range of risks and hazards that they may encounter. Hence it is important to give them appropriate controlled environments in which they can learn about risk.

Reference: http://www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/adventure/manage.htm

Hope This Helps!

Cheers ,
L.A