(background: white)[(colour:black)[This videogame, "Educating Youth about Relationships", serves as a tool to teach youth about how to navigate relationships by making difficult choices.
You can pick the type of relationship for a different storyline you would like to learn about.
**Step 1. Pick a storyline:**
[[Dating|Dating Violence]]
[[Witnessing Parental Abuse|Witnessing Parental Abuse]]
[[Experiencing Parental Abuse|Experiencing Parental Abuse]]
[[Friendship|Friendship Abuse]]
**Step 2. After you have played the game, click here**: (link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You are a freshman in high school and have just started to adjust to life in a new school. After a few weeks, you begin dating your first partner, Sam. You have many of their classes together and communicate a lot during the day.
After a couple of months of dating everything seems to be going well until your best friend, Riley, starts taking some of your attention. You have been friends with this person since elementary school and share many of the same interests. Your partner knows this and begins to act jealous and question you about your friendship with them. Then, Sam demands that you stop talking to Riley because you could lose Sam if you don’t. Do you:
[[Argue with Sam and ultimately ignore their demands|Argue with Sam]]
[[Reassure Sam that Riley is not that close to you and that they are more important|Reassure Sam and Ignore Riley]]
[[Listen to your partner and start to ignore Riley|Reassure Sam and Ignore Riley]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You are about to enter the eighth grade and are currently living with your mom and dad. Last night, your parents got into an argument over your father finding a new job. He was fired from his previous job and been out of work for over eight months. Your mother is angry that she is the only one paying the bills and wants your father to find new work. As you were all at the dinner table, your father pushed your mother out of her chair and told her to stop talking about his work.
He stormed upstairs while your mother apologized to you for having to see them fight. You wanted to cry because you hate seeing your parents upset, but you didn’t want to add to their stress.
When you go to school the next day, your friends notice you seem to be more quiet than usual. They ask you if you are ok, to which you respond:
[[“Yeah, I just didn’t sleep that much last night”|Avoid Truth about Fight]]
[[“I don’t know, my parents got into a fight last night”|Share Truth about Fight]]
[[“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine”|Avoid Truth about Fight]]
[[“My family is just weird sometimes, you know?”|Share Truth about Fight]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You’re going into your sophomore year of high school. You are usually an okay student but doing school work has become more of a challenge. Things appear to be going well but home life is difficult. Even though you do your best, you don’t feel good enough for your father. The relationship between you and your father has been strained since you were young. He has a temper and developed a drinking problem when he lost his job six months ago.
You get home from practice one day and come home to your parents yelling at each other. Do you:
[[Investigate and figure out what is going on|Investigate]]
[[Go to your room and pretend you did not notice|Go to Room]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You have known your best friend, Taylor, since elementary school and you’re both excited to enter your freshman year of high school. You two have always been a pair as you have monthly sleepovers, share all your secrets, and celebrate holidays at each other’s houses.
Taylor keeps talking about all the different things she’s excited to try in high school, some of them you’re not as thrilled for, but you always try to match her enthusiasm. You tried to talk about some of the clubs you found interesting, but she tells you they sound boring and you should join hers instead. You want to make her happy so you agree at the moment, but feel weird about your decision later. When you go to your first day of school in the morning, you see a sign-up sheet for your favorite activity, art, and another sheet with Taylor’s name on it for the newspaper. You write your name on:
[[Art Club|Art Club]]
[[Newspaper|Newspaper]]
[[Don't write your name on either|Don't Write Name]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[
Taylor comes up behind you to see you writing your name under the Art club. She grabs your hand to stop you and says you’re weird for joining those ‘freaks’. She tells you to write your name under hers for newspaper so you can be with her. You try to argue, but she tells you that she’s only looking out for you and knows that no one that does art becomes popular.
You reluctantly write your name under hers and leave behind the sign-up sheets. You walk with Taylor to class and notice all the types of people in the hallways. You hope you and Taylor can meet a lot of new people today to grow your friend group.
Once you have sat down in your first class, a boy comes up to you and asks you for your name. Once you tell him, he says he’s heard a lot about you from Taylor. You smile and say that she is your best friend. He laughs and says “I wouldn’t think a best friend would tell everyone you threw up in the middle of a chorus concert”. You’re in shock, why would Taylor tell people about your most embarrassing moment in middle school? As Taylor walks into the room, you:
[[Ask her why she told people about the concert|Confront Taylor - Art]]
[[Tell her she's being mean by telling people your secrets|Confront Taylor - Art]]
[[Ignore her and focus on your class|Ignore Taylor - Art]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You know Taylor will be upset if you leave her alone in her club so you sign your name under newspaper and hope that it will be a fun new experience. Taylor gives you a big hug when she sees you have signed up for the same after-school activity as her and tells you to hurry up or you’ll both be late for class.
Once you have sat down in your first class, a boy comes up to you and asks you for your name. Once you tell him, he says he’s heard a lot about you from Taylor. You smile and say that she is your best friend. He laughs and says “I wouldn’t think a best friend would tell everyone you threw up in the middle of a chorus concert”. You’re in shock, why would Taylor tell people about your most embarrassing moment in middle school? As Taylor walks into the room, you:
[[Ask her why she told people about the concert|Confront Taylor]]
[[Tell her she's being mean by telling people your secrets|Confront Taylor]]
[[Ignore her and focus on your class|Ignore Taylor]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You chose to ask Taylor about her behavior. You are hurt and you are confused on how different she seems, and how focused she is on what others think and prioritizing popularity. You are also looking forward to trying new things in high school, even if she may view them as “dorky”, and is scared of what others may think of you and your relationship in the future.
After her spreading stories about you and putting you down for wanting to join art club, you are beginning to feel that your friendship isn’t as perfect as it had seemed. You don’t want to ruin your friendship, however, you want to be honest. After stating your concerns, Taylor seemed taken aback, as you had never spoken up to her before. She gets defensive, and says that she just wants what’s best for you and will make both of you more popular in high school. She also says that your friendship means a lot to her and hopes that this won’t stop your friendship from continuing.
[[You forgive Taylor, because she is your best friend after all and she probably is just looking out for you|Forgive Taylor]]
[[You don’t know how to feel, and walk away without responding|Walk Away]]
[[After the conversation ends, you storm off in anger and don’t speak for the rest of the day|Walk Away]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[After hearing about Taylor spreading your personal information, you decide to continue your day as if nothing had happened. You mention that you met the guy in one of your classes, and Taylor laughs and says that she barely knows him. You are shocked to hear this, especially knowing how embarrassed you are about the story, and the fact that she would say this to someone she “barely knows”. You are left to wonder who else she has told, and what other secrets are no longer private.
You end up walking home alone, and run straight upstairs to your room. After sitting on your bed for a few minutes, you see your cell phone light up in the corner of your eye. It’s a text from Taylor saying, “Hey sorry about earlier, hope you aren’t still upset over something so meaningless. I met some of the popular girls who are also going to newspaper club! See you tomorrow?” You respond with:
[[“I guess I was being dramatic, I really should’ve signed up for newspaper club after all. See you tomorrow”|Apologize to Taylor]]
[[“I saw you with them at lunch and I made my own friends, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow if I have time”|Brush Off Taylor]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You decide to wait to make any decision about an after-school club until you have finished your first day of school. Besides, you want to focus on finding your classes and meeting your classmates before worrying too much about clubs.
Once you have sat down in your first class, a boy comes up to you and asks you for your name. Once you tell him, he says he’s heard a lot about you from Taylor. You smile and say that she is your best friend. He laughs and says “I wouldn’t think a best friend would tell everyone you threw up in the middle of a chorus concert”. You’re in shock, why would Taylor tell people about your most embarrassing moment in middle school? As Taylor walks into the room, you:
[[Ask her why she told people about the concert|Confront Taylor]]
[[Tell her she's being mean by telling people your secrets|Confront Taylor]]
[[Ignore her and focus on your class|Ignore Taylor]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You chose to ask Taylor about her behavior. You are hurt and you are confused on how different she seems, and how focused she is on what others think and prioritizing popularity. You are also looking forward to trying new things in high school, even if she may view them as “dorky”, and is scared of what others may think of you and your relationship in the future.
After her spreading stories about you and putting you down for wanting to join art club, you are beginning to feel that your friendship isn’t as perfect as it had seemed. You don’t want to ruin your friendship, however, you want to be honest. After stating your concerns, Taylor seemed taken aback, as you had never spoken up to her before. She gets defensive, and says that she just wants what’s best for you and will make both of you more popular in high school. She also says that your friendship means a lot to her and hopes that this won’t stop your friendship from continuing.
[[You forgive Taylor, because she is your best friend after all and she probably is just looking out for you|Forgive Taylor - Art]]
[[You don’t know how to feel, and walk away without responding|Walk Away - Art]]
[[After the conversation ends, you storm off in anger and don’t speak for the rest of the day|Walk Away - Art]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[After hearing about Taylor spreading your personal information, you decide to continue your day as if nothing had happened. You mention that you met the guy in one of your classes, and Taylor laughs and says that she barely knows him. You are shocked to hear this, especially knowing how embarrassed you are about the story, and the fact that she would say this to someone she “barely knows”. You are left to wonder who else she has told, and what other secrets are no longer private.
You decide you want to visit the art club. As you’re about to enter the room, Taylor stops you and tells you that she’s worried you haven’t been talking to her all day. She notices you’re about to go paint and makes fun of you for being here instead of at Newspaper.
She drags you away from the room, but you want to go back in. You decide to:
[[Let her drag you to Newspaper|Drags you to Newspaper]]
[[Push her off and go to Art|Leave Taylor for Art]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You chose to not tell your friends about what happened last night. You instead change the subject to what electives everyone is taking. Your friends still seemed to be concerned, but they let their worries go and focus on the rest of the school day.
Later in the day, you check your phone and see a text from your father telling you that he won’t be giving you a ride home today and you need to find someone else. He says your mother is being lazy and he will be at a friend’s house. You’re upset that you might be stuck at school on your first day, but try to look for an alternative.
You ask for a ride from:
[[Your teacher|Ride from Teacher]]
[[Your friend|Ride from Friend]]
[[Text your mother about a ride|Ride from Mom]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You share some information about the previous night, but don’t know how much you want to open up about your family’s problems. Your friends try to assure you that they are here for you and are happy to help in any way they can.
You’re grateful for them, but you don’t know what can help your parents. Your friend, Kyle, asks you whether you want them to reach out to anyone for you. Kyle says that they’ve visited the school counselor before and it’s a lot less scary than everyone thinks.
You’re not sure whether you want to talk to the school about anything. You respond:
[[“Sure, if you trust them”|Agree to Counselor]]
[[“I think I’d rather keep it to myself right now”|Avoid Counselor Talk]]
[[“I need to talk to my parents first”|Avoid Counselor Talk]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[After class, you go up to your teacher and tell them your parents aren’t feeling well and if there’s any way someone can give you a ride. Your teacher, Ms. Daniels, tells you to wait for her to clean up and then she will help you get home.
You patiently wait at your desk until Ms. Daniels comes up and tells you she wants to call your parents to check with them before giving you a ride. You panic and tell her that they’re really sick and will be upset if someone wakes them up. She is concerned about your hesitation to call your parents and tells you she can’t take you without their permission.
You decide to:
[[Lie and say they changed their minds and are picking you up|Lie to Teacher]]
[[Tell her you will walk home instead|Lie to Teacher]]
[[Tell her your dad said he was too busy to come get you|Truth to Teacher]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[As the bell rings, you run up to your friend to ask them if you can also get a ride home. They’re happy to take you and you both wait until their parents arrive. You both only have to wait about five minutes, before you see their minivan drive up to the curb.
Your friend asks your parents if it’s ok to drive you home and they instantly smile and welcome you into their car. As you buckle in, you notice how kind your friend’s parents are to each other as they joke about their days at work and make sure the other is comfortable before driving off.
Throughout the ride, you begin to compare your own parents to your friend’s as they don’t raise their voices at all even when the mother takes a wrong turn. You wonder if maybe they are just acting nice in front of you and that they act the same as yours once back at their house.
You get dropped off at home and are greeted by your mother who appears confused as to why you are not with your father. You don’t want to lie to your mother, but you’re scared of her getting into a fight with dad. You reply:
[[“I told him I wanted to go with my friend”|Lie to Mom]]
[[“Everything is OK, can I tell you about my day at school?”|Lie to Mom]]
[[“He said you both were busy”|Truth to Mom]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You call your mom and tell her the truth about your dad never coming to pick you up. She is furious and apologizes to you about your dad’s behavior. You start to cry as you tell her you didn’t want to bother her and give her more stress.
She tells you she loves you and wants what’s best for you. She tells you she will talk to your father when he gets home.
Your father walks in several hours later and appears upset. Your mother confronts him about neglecting you at school to which he responds he was busy and his kid isn’t always his first priority. Your parents begin to scream at each other again and you remember a phone number your classes talked about earlier if you want help at home. You’re hesitant because you don’t want to get your parents in trouble. Do you:
[[Call the hotline|Call Hotline]]
[[Go to your room|Go to Your Room after Mom]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You have chosen to lie to your teacher and try to find another way to get home. She asks if you are sure as she wants to help, but you insist that you will be fine. On your way out of the school, you run into your friend getting into his family’s car.
Your friend asks your parents if it’s ok to drive you home and they instantly smile and welcome you into their car. As you buckle in, you notice how kind your friend’s parents are to each other as they joke about their days at work and make sure the other is comfortable before driving off.
Throughout the ride, you begin to compare your own parents to your friend’s as they don’t raise their voices at all even when the mother takes a wrong turn. You wonder if maybe they are just acting nice in front of you and that they act the same as yours once back at their house.
You get dropped off at home and are greeted by your mother who appears confused as to why you are not with your father. You don’t want to lie to your mother, but you’re scared of her getting into a fight with dad. You reply:
[[“I told him I wanted to go with my friend”|Avoid Mom's Questions]]
[[“Everything is OK, can I tell you about my day at school?”|Avoid Mom's Questions]]
[[“He said you both were busy”|Truth to Mom about Dad]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You tell your teacher about your father’s situation. She says she is worried about you and wants to make sure you and your parents are ok. She asks if you want to talk about anything and you open up about the fight your parents had.
She tells you that she wants to make sure you’re safe and that she wants to set up a meeting with a school counselor and your parents tomorrow afternoon. You are thankful for the opportunity to have someone else talk to your parents.
You were able to help your family by confiding in additional resources. Thank you for playing!
[[Play again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You try to avoid answering your mom and instead start a new conversation. She seems worried about you, but allows you to talk about your day at school instead. When your dad comes home, you avoid eye contact with him. Your mom doesn’t ask him about the ride situation.
You worry if this is going to be a problem everyday at school and wish you had said something to your mom or someone at school.
You did not reach out for help from people in your life and feel uncomfortable in your own home. As you go to bed, you hear another argument start downstairs.
[[Try Again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You tell your mom the truth about your dad never coming to pick you up. She is furious and apologizes to you about your dad’s behavior. You start to cry as you tell her you didn’t want to bother her and give her more stress.
She tells you she loves you and wants what’s best for you. She tells you she will talk to your father when he gets home.
Your father walks in several hours later and appears upset. Your mother confronts him about neglecting you at school to which he responds he was busy and his kid isn’t always his first priority. Your parents begin to scream at each other again and you remember a phone number your classes talked about earlier if you want help at home. You’re hesitant because you don’t want to get your parents in trouble. Do you:
[[Call the hotline|Call Hotline]]
[[Go to your room|Go to Your Room after Mom]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You go to your room and your parents continue where they left off. You try to block it out but nothing is able to distract you from it. Then, you hear something smash. You think it's a beer bottle, which explains your father's angry outburst. Do you:
[[Go investigate|Go Investigate Downstairs]]
[[Do nothing|Do Nothing]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You continue to defend your mother and get into a screaming match with your father. After some time he snaps and slaps you across the face, making you fall to the floor. Your mother screams and your father leaves the house slamming the door. This isn’t the first time this has happened. You try to get up but your head is pounding. Do you:
[[Get up and try to forget it happened|Try to Forget]]
[[Call the police/ambulance and comfort your mother and help her clean up|Call Police and Ambulance]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You interfering with their argument makes your father even more angry while your mother becomes quiet. She tries to tell you everything is okay, but you don't believe it. He demands that you go to your room along with yelling a few insults your way. You decide to:
[[Get angry and yell back|Yell Back]]
[[Try to calm him down|Try to Calm Him]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You tried to go to sleep but tossed and turned all night. All you could think about is your mom and having to get up for school in the morning. You wake up with a headache and not in a good mood. You rush yourself to school and run into your ex-best friend Riley. They come up to you and tease you for not having many friends. You respond by:
[[Getting angry and hitting him|Hit Him]]
[[Walking away|Walk Away from Riley]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You go to bed without seeing your father again that night. You wake up in the morning with a terrible headache and a noticeable bruise on the side of your head. You go to school anyway but teachers and friends notice you’re acting strange. They ask you if you need to see the nurse but you refuse. Your headache refuses to go away and you feel exhausted but you’re not sure if you should tell anyone. Do you:
[[Open up to a teacher|Open Up to Teacher]]
[[Open up to a friend|Open Up to Friend]]
[[Keep it to yourself|Keep It to Yourself]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[Like many times before you clean up the broken bottle and make sure your mother is okay. She falls apart and you feel powerless to help. You tell your mom that it might be time to call the police and you might need to go to the hospital. She argues with you saying she’ll talk to him and it won’t happen again. You’ve heard this line before. Unlike other times your head hurts terribly and you think you may need to see a doctor. Do you:
[[Listen and decide to just help her clean up|Listen to Her]]
[[You stand your ground and decide that you both need help|Stand your Ground]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
You start to open up to one of your teachers that you feel closest to but you get nervous and leave out some of the story. You tell her you tripped while playing outside and since then you haven’t felt good. She thinks you may have a concussion and wants you to go to the nurse. You say you’ll think about it. Do you:
[[Go to the nurse|Go to Nurse]]
[[Go home and try to rest|Try to Rest]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
You tell one of your best friends what happened and why you’ve been acting strange. They are concerned about you but you make them promise not to tell anyone. You already have a strained relationship with your dad and you can’t imagine your mom being disappointed in you too. Your friend still insists you go to the nurse, even if you lie about what happened.
[[Go to the nurse|Go to Nurse]]
[[Go home and try to rest|Try to Rest]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You don’t tell anyone and pretend that this doesn't affect you, but you're upset about what you have to experience at home.
You don't open up to anyone about the injury and you end up having a concussion.
By choosing to stay silent about the situation, your relationships have been negatively affected and and you feel depressed and lonely.
[[Try Again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You don’t tell anyone and pretend that this doesn't affect you, but you're upset about what you have to experience at home.
You don't open up to anyone about the injury and you end up having a concussion.
By choosing to stay silent about the situation, your relationships have been negatively affected and your self-esteem is lower.
[[Play Again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You call the police and get checked out by paramedics. You explain the situation to them and your mom finally comes around to ask for help.
Your dad is arrested and is required to enter into an alcohol dependency program.
It is difficult at first but you and your mom are getting through it with the large support system you both have. Reporting helped prevent the violence from continuing and you feel good about the decision you made.
[[Play Again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
After fighting with Sam on the phone about Riley for over an hour you stay firm and refuse to stop being friends with them. Sam hung up on you and since then you’ve been getting the silent treatment. No matter what you do to get their attention nothing works. You walk by Sam in the hallway at school and they don’t even look in your direction. Is Sam going to break up with you? You start to become really sad and anxious but you’re not sure what to do about it. Do you:
[[Reach out to Riley and ask if they’ll hang out with you after school|Reach out to Riley about After School]]
[[Talk to your favorite teacher and see if they can help|Talk to Favorite Teacher]]
[[Don’t ask for help and try to figure it out yourself|Don't Ask for Help]]]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[Riley comes over after school watch tv and notices that you seem down. You explain the situation to them and they tell you that they think you are better off. They say that they didn’t treat you well and that you deserve better. After talking you feel a bit better and you decide that you want to:
[[Let them go and move on|Move On]]
[[Wait some time and try to have a conservation with them|Wait to Have a Conversation with Them]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
Before lunch, you go up to your favorite teacher in class and ask if you can talk to them about something at lunch. You meet with them and explain the treatment you are getting from your partner. They suggest that you let them go and express how important it is that you surround yourself with people who treat you how you deserve. After lunch ends you:
[[Listen to their advice and let Sam go|Move On]]
[[Decide to have a conversation with Sam anyway|Wait to Have a Conversation with Them]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[After thinking about the situation all day you’ve worked yourself up and have a nervous breakdown. You’ve been distracted and it impacted your performance in class as well. You go home feeling exhausted and lonely. You decide to give Sam a call and apologize.
After calling a couple times Sam finally picks up and agrees to meet up to talk before school the next day. You’re relieved that they answered but wonder if it's a good idea. You decide to sleep on it and decide in the morning. Will you:
[[Decide not to go|Move On]]
[[Meet up with her|Wait to Have a Conversation with Them]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You end up losing track of Sam and get a ride home by yourself. You figure that she’ll call you when she calms down but she never does. After waiting most of the night, you’re not sure whether to call her. When you finally do and she ignores your phone call. You start to think that you may have just overreacted and should have let her pick the movie.
[[Decide not to go|Move On]]
[[Try to meet up with her|Give Sam Another Chance]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
After a while Riley becomes upset because of how you’re treating them and stops reaching out to you. You feel bad about this and wonder if you should have let Sam convince you to cut them out. Then, Sam decides to take you to a movie to make it up to you. Even though this was supposed to cheer you up, you end up fighting with them about what movie to choose. They get upset and storm off. Do you:
[[Let them go and call for a ride home|Move On]]
[[Chase after them to try to apologize|Chase After Them]]]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You decide to no longer reach out to Sam. You feel sad but think it is the right thing to do. A week goes by and you start to feel normal again until Sam finds you at your locker. They approach you and start a conversation like nothing ever happened. You finally bring up what happened and they immediately apologize. They want to get back together and they promise nothing like that will happen again. Do you:
[[Give Sam a second chance|Give Sam Another Chance]]
[[Stick to your original decision and move on|Too Late to Change]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You meet up with Sam and they seem apologetic about the whole situation. They want to get back together and find a way to work things out. You tell them about your concerns and they promise it won’t happen again.
[[Give Sam a second chance|Give Sam Another Chance]]
[[Don’t trust them and move on|Still Move On]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You try to avoid answering your mom and instead start a new conversation. She seems worried about you, but allows you to talk about your day at school instead. When your dad comes home, you avoid eye contact with him. Your mom doesn’t ask him about the ride situation.
You worry if this is going to be a problem everyday at school and wish you had said something to your mom or someone at school.
You did not reach out for help from people in your life and feel uncomfortable in your own home. As you go to bed, you hear another argument start downstairs.
[[Try Again?|Choose Your Story]]
If you are done playing, click on the following link to take the survey:
(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You tell your mom the truth about your dad never coming to pick you up. She is furious and apologizes to you about your dad’s behavior. You start to cry as you tell her you didn’t want to bother her and give her more stress.
She tells you she loves you and wants what’s best for you. She tells you she will talk to your father when he gets home.
Your father walks in several hours later and appears upset. Your mother confronts him about neglecting you at school to which he responds he was busy and his kid isn’t always his first priority. Your parents begin to scream at each other again and you remember a phone number your classes talked about earlier if you want help at home. You’re hesitant because you don’t want to get your parents in trouble. Do you:
[[Call the hotline|Call Hotline]]
[[Go to your room|Go to Your Room after Mom]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You go upstairs and look up the hotline you heard about in school. You see they offer online chat services instead of phone calls which you prefer. You start a chat with them and explain to them your day and how you’re feeling. They ask a lot of questions about you and you feel better knowing they don’t want to hurt your parents.
They offer several programs in your state that you and your family can sign up for that could help you all talk to each other more with help from someone else. You thank them for their help and plan to talk to your mom tomorrow about some of these options.
You were able to help your family by confiding in additional resources. Thank you for playing!
[[Play Again?|Choose Your Story]]
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You chose to avoid talking to someone else about your parents and go to bed scared of what is happening downstairs. You wish you had reached out to someone earlier in the day as you feel very alone.
You encounter the same problem with rides the next day and feel worse about yourself and your father. You remain quiet about your problems and suffer from your stress alone.
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(link:"Survey")[(gotoURL:"https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fLOgKxtJ0OMg5f")]]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You agree to have Kyle talk to the school counselor and see what they recommend. The bell rings for class and you tell your friends you will talk to them after school. They wave goodbye as you enter your first class.
At lunch, your teacher tells you the school counselor has asked you to go to their office. You walk into their room and find the atmosphere to be friendlier than you expected. There is even a dog!
You smile as you pet the black lab and your school counselor thanks you for visiting them. They tell you that someone came to them about something you had said earlier about your home life. She asks whether you wanted to tell her about anything. You decide to:
[[Talk to her about your family|Open Up to Counselor]]
[[Say your friend was being dramatic and you are OK|Friend Being Dramatic]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You thank Kyle for the suggestion, but choose to address the problem later. Kyle says the offer is always there in case you want it. The bell rings for class and you tell your friends you will talk to them after school. They wave goodbye as you enter your first class.
Later in the day, you check your phone and see a text from your father telling you that he won’t be giving you a ride home today and you need to find someone else. He says your mother is being lazy and he will be at a friend’s house. You’re upset that you might be stuck at school on your first day, but try to look for an alternative.
You ask for a ride from:
[[Your teacher|Ride from Teacher]]
[[Your friend|Ride from Friend]]
[[Text your mother about a ride|Ride from Mom]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
You and Sam give it another shot and for a month or so things go well and Sam keeps their promise.
After that, things go back to the way they were and Sam became controlling and jealous once again. You had to try to break things off with her again.
At this point you’re depressed and your grades in school are plummeting. You need to take time for some self-care.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You permanently end your relationship with Sam. You are finally able to enjoy highschool with your best friends.
You join the school basketball team and reach the honor roll for the first time. You are proud of yourself and continue to work hard.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You tell Sam no and they do not take it well. They try to argue with you but you stand your ground. After a few minutes, their frustration and anger comes through and they start insulting you. Among the insults they tell you that you’re stupid and not good enough for them anyway. At this point you’ve had enough and attempt to say good-bye. Before you can, Sam slaps you across the face and storms away.
Unfortunately, the situation escalated but could have been avoided.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You try to defend your mother and get in between her and your father. After arguing about his drinking, he snaps and slaps you across the face, making you fall to the floor. Your mother screams and your father leaves the house slamming the door. This isn’t the first time this has happened. You try to get up but your head is pounding.
[[Get up and try to forget it happened|Try to Forget it Happens]]
[[Call the police/ambulance and comfort your mother and help her clean up|Call Police and Ambulance]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You try to tell him to calm down but it's no use. You can smell the alcohol on his breath. Instead of directing his anger at your mom, it is now at you. He puts your down for your grades and makes fun of you for the way you dress. You have enough and you finally yell at him for being an awful father. He slaps you across the face and smashes his beer bottle on the floor as he storms out of the house. You fall so hard that you pass out for a second. Your mom looks at you in shock and doesn’t move. Do you:
[[Get up and try to forget it happened|Try to Forget it Happens]]
[[Tell your mom to call the police/ambulance and help clean up|Call Police and Ambulance]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[Your counselor talks to you about your family and makes you feel supported. They recommend different programs in the community, some that your school even offers, that will help you talk to your parents in a safe environment.
They said they will reach out to your parents for you too which makes you feel less nervous. You thank them for their help and plan to talk to your mom tomorrow about some of these options.
You were able to help your family by confiding in additional resources. Thank you for playing!
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You tell your counselor that your friend was being dramatic and that your family was fine without any help. You talk a bit more about your classes and they attempt to ask you more, but you decide to stay silent on the issue.
When you return home, your parents are downstairs arguing about who had a more stressful day. You head upstairs to your room. You chose to avoid talking to someone else about your parents and go to bed scared of what is happening downstairs. You wish you had reached out to someone earlier in the day as you feel very alone.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[The day continues, and things with Taylor continue as usual; eating lunch together, planning out your weekend, and hanging out after school. The week flies by with all of the excitement of freshman year, until Thursday comes around. You receive a text from Taylor saying, “Hey lets meet in the hallway before newspaper club!”. You completely forgot about the sign up and your heart falls into your stomach. The rest of the school day goes by slowly, and as the bell rings at 3 pm, you are met by Taylor and three other girls you have never seen before. They looked uninterested, and didn’t even bother to ask what your name was.
Taylor introduces you to her new friends, and say that they are going to newspaper club too. This only adds to your dread as you all walk down the hallway into the room. You sit down, and don’t pay attention because you are thinking about Art club, which happens during the same time as Newspaper club. Although you are glad to be there for Taylor, you only wonder what it would be like to try something new instead of falling into her shadow as usual. As you walk out of Newspaper club, Taylor walks off with her new friends instead of walking with you. You are shocked, and become quickly upset, especially after not going to art club to support her. When Taylor turns around you:
[[You walk away in anger, and ignore her calling out your name behind you|Leave School Alone]]
[[Taylor walks towards you, and you start tearing up. Before you can even say anything, her new friends call her name and she follows|Taylor Abandons You]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[The day continues, and you have a hard time focusing because you can’t stop thinking about your fight with Taylor. You see her briefly in the hallways, but not enough to say anything. When lunch comes around, you stand alone, watching the busy cafeteria, only to find Taylor sitting with who you imagine are the popular girls. You are shocked, as it was only this morning that you two had been best friends, and each other’s only support at school. You were hoping that, despite the argument, you two could sit together and talk about it during lunch; it’s what you always used to do. You could use her support today more than ever, the first day of freshman year is hard to do on your own.
You end up hiding in the bathroom stall, eating your lunch over your tears. Taylor normally walks home with you from school, but she is nowhere to be found even ten minutes after the last bell. You end up walking home alone, and run straight upstairs to your room. After sitting on your bed for a few minutes, you see your cell phone light up in the corner of your eye. It’s a text from Taylor saying, “Hey sorry about earlier, hope you aren’t still upset over something so meaningless. I met some of the popular girls who are also going to newspaper club! See you tomorrow?” You respond with:
[[“I guess I was being dramatic, I really should’ve signed up for newspaper club after all. See you tomorrow”|Apologize to Taylor]]
[[“I saw you with them at lunch and I made my own friends, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow if I have time”|Brush Off Taylor]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You go to bed without seeing your father again that night. You wake up in the morning with a terrible headache and a noticeable bruise on the side of your head. You go to school anyway but teachers and friends notice you’re acting strange. They ask you if you need to see the nurse but you refuse. Your headache refuses to go away and you feel exhausted but you’re not sure if you should tell anyone. Do you:
[[Open up to a teacher|Open Up to Teacher]]
[[Open up to a friend|Open Up to Friend]]
[[Keep it to yourself|Keep It to Yourself]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You go to the school nurse and she examines your bruises. You tell her the story you made up and she doesn’t seem to believe you. She tells you that you most likely have a concussion and it doesn’t seem likely that you just tripped and fell that hard. You end up telling her the true story.
Your dad is arrested and is required to enter into an alcohol dependency program.
It is difficult at first but you and your mom are getting through it with the large support system you both have. Reporting helped prevent the violence from escalating.
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(background: white)[(colour:black)[
You open up and tell someone about what you have to experience at home but you don’t take the help when it was offered.
You end up having a concussion and finally seek medical attention a week later.
By choosing to stay silent about the situation, your relationships have been negatively affected and your physical health and mental health was not addressed.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You decide to forgive Taylor for her actions.
Later on in the day, you decide to go to the art club as you wanted to stay true to your extracurricular choice. You’re excited to make new friends and get some time to paint.
When you arrive, you’re greeted by a small classroom of people engaged in pottery, painting, drawing, and more. You sit down to a nice girl named Hilary and strike up a conversation about your favorite TV shows. As you’re painting, Hilary gives you a lot of compliments about your work which makes you happy.
You’re told you are allowed to take the artwork home and you can’t wait to show your parents. As you’re leaving school, Taylor catches up to you and asks why you didn’t come to Newspaper. She sees your painting and becomes furious. She snatches the artwork and rips it up telling you that you should’ve listened to her.
You’re shocked she would do this to you. You:
[[Tell her your friendship is over|Friendship Is Over]]
[[Ask her why she’s doing this|Ask Why She is Like This]]
[[Silently pick up the painting pieces|Pick up Painting]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You decide not to engage with Taylor and blow the incident off by telling yourself that no one will remember what she said by tomorrow.
Later on in the day, you decide to go to the art club as you wanted to stay true to your extracurricular choice. You’re excited to make new friends and get some time to paint.
When you arrive, you’re greeted by a small classroom of people engaged in pottery, painting, drawing, and more. You sit down to a nice girl named Hilary and strike up a conversation about your favorite TV shows. As you’re painting, Hilary gives you a lot of compliments about your work which makes you happy.
You’re told you are allowed to take the artwork home and you can’t wait to show your parents. As you’re leaving school, Taylor catches up to you and asks why you didn’t come to Newspaper. She sees your painting and becomes furious. She snatches the artwork and rips it up telling you that you should’ve listened to her.
You’re shocked she would do this to you. You:
[[Tell her your friendship is over|Friendship Is Over]]
[[Silently pick up the painting pieces|Pick up Painting]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[You stand up and tell Taylor that she has been a poor friend all day. You tell her you cannot accept her bullying you to change clubs, telling people your secrets, and destroying your art.
Taylor begs you to reconsider, but you know from experience that this will only be temporary. You call your mom for a ride and tell her everything. She is proud of you for sticking up for yourself and knows you will have a good time at high school if you focus on your interests and finding other people.
Thank you for playing!
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
You try to hold back tears as you ask Taylor why she is behaving like this. She tells you to grow up and that you can recreate the painting any day.
She starts to walk away and you debate whether you should say anything about your feelings. You're scared to start a fight, but you want to make sure your high school years aren't spent miserable:
[[Tell her you can’t accept her behavior|Friendship Is Over]]
[[Keep quiet and follow her|Quiet and Follow]]
]]
(background: white)[(colour:black)[Taylor has shown she does not respect your property, however you excuse her behavior because the first day of school can be extremely stressful.
She rolls her eyes and tells you that you can make a new painting tomorrow. You guess this was her way of apologizing. You walk home together while you think about whether you should’ve forgiven her for her actions.
You wish you had stood up for yourself more and tried to expand your friendships with other people.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
Taylor has shown she does not respect your property, however you excuse her behavior because the first day of school can be extremely stressful.
You walk home together while you think about whether you should’ve forgiven her for her actions. You wish you had stood up for yourself more and tried to expand your friendships with other people.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You don't try to fight with Taylor as you're too worried about losing her as a friend. You decide to let her go to Newspaper alone and sit on the bench outside the classroom waiting for her.
You are sad that you missed the chance to meet new people and explore a hobby you are passionate about. You hope Taylor becomes better, but knowing how little she has changed over the years, you become increasingly worried about ever being able to do what you want.
You wish you had made other choices that would have stood up against Taylor.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[When you arrive, you’re greeted by a small classroom of people engaged in pottery, painting, drawing, and more. You sit down to a nice girl named Hilary and strike up a conversation about your favorite TV shows. As you’re painting, Hilary gives you a lot of compliments about your work which makes you happy.
You’re told you are allowed to take the artwork home and you can’t wait to show your parents. As you’re leaving school, Taylor catches up to you and asks why you didn’t come to Newspaper. She sees your painting and becomes furious. She snatches the artwork and rips it up telling you that you should’ve listened to her.
You’re shocked she would do this to you. You:
[[Tell her your friendship is over|Friendship Is Over]]
[[Silently pick up the painting pieces|Pick up Painting]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[Taylor has shown she does not respect your feelings, however you excuse her behavior because the first day of school can be extremely stressful. You tell her that you take the blame for your behavior which she quickly agrees to and tells you that you're always too dramatic.
You walk home together while you think about whether you should’ve forgiven her for her actions. You wish you had stood up for yourself more and tried to expand your friendships with other people.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
Taylor gets upset with your response, but you are too tired with her behavior to acknowledge her own feelings in the situation. She continues to insult you before you decide to just stop replying.
You know Taylor will give you a semi-apology later in the morning, but you have decided that this year you will not be giving in to her behavior anymore. You decide tomorrow you will go to Art club for the first time and try to make new friends. You feel happier about your high school experience.
Thank you for playing!
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You think about how Taylor has been a poor friend all day. You decide you cannot accept her bullying you to change clubs, telling people your secrets, and ignoring you when more popular people are around.
You know Taylor will give you a semi-apology later in the evening, but you have decided that this year you will not be giving in to her behavior anymore. You decide tomorrow you will go to Art club for the first time and try to make new friends. You feel happier about your high school experience.
Thank you for playing!
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[
Taylor leaves you alone while she runs to catch up with her friends. You feel destroyed by her betrayal and don't know whether to consider her your friend. You leave the school alone and nearly in tears.
Taylor later texts you about her new friends and club, but you choose to not respond to her messages. You plan on talking with your family about how to handle your friendship and know if this behavior is ok.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You get pulled apart by school administrators and sent to the principal's office. You beg them not to call your parents but they have to. You get expelled from school and your dad is the one coming to pick you up. You are filled with panic but you’re not sure that you should tell anyone why. Do you:
[[Tell the principal about the problems at home|Talk to Principal]]
[[Say nothing and get in the car with your dad|Get in Car with Dad]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You open up to the principal and tell them that you’re worried about your safety. They reach out to the school psychologist and call the authorities for you.
It is difficult at first but you and your mom are getting through it with the large support system you both have. Reporting helped prevent the violence from escalating and you feel good about the decision you made.
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]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You get in the car with your dad and he is furious. He won’t even let you explain what happened at school. He tells you how stupid you are and how he wishes he ended up with a different kid. He takes your cell phone and grounds you for a month so you won’t be able to see any friends while you’re expelled. When you get home, you respond to something he said under your breath so he hits you in the head from behind.
Do you:
[[Find a way to call the police later|Stand your Ground]]
[[Just go to your room|Listen to Her]]
]](background: white)[(colour:black)[You dodge a potential conflict with Riley but you’re still upset about what happened at home last night.
You did nothing about the situation you walked in on but you know that a similar conflict will come up in the future.
You’re disappointed for not taking any steps to help yourself, your mother and your father. You wish you did something else to try to make your home happier.
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]]