Models these days are generally built of durable and reparable foam, and the thrust/weight ratio is often over 1:1. Stalls are easy to avoid, and most beginning-level planes can be safely glided down without power (that is, just enough to power the servos without running the prop). If you're lucky, you should be able to repair your way through a few crashes.

That being said, my wife has flown a quadcopter with zero experience (but careful supervision of the owner). My impression is that a high quality multirotor will be easier to fly than a fixed-wing.