Directions for facilitating scenarios

  1. At your table, select two people to act as facilitators. Other table participants will act (or be!) students. Be prepared to report out to the large group after debriefing.
  2. Pick one of the scenarios below. You can either role play (*preferred*) or discuss as a group.
  3. Time frame (approximate):
  4. Game planwith group – 5 min

a)Role-play with group– 10 min

b)Debrief as group – 15min

c)Report back to large group- 20 min

Scenario 1

You notice that one of your teammates/group members, Alex, is becoming more and more withdrawn. Recently, Alex came to practice/meeting latewith red puffy eyes and looked as though she had been crying. When you ask if she is OK, she simply nods and says she is just dealing with some personal issues. Today, Alex arrives at practice/a meeting with swelling around her eye and bottom lip. When asked, she says she got up to go to the bathroom last night in the dark and walked into the edge of her open closet door. What do you do?

Scenario 2

You are at a party where people are playing drinking games. A first-year student is being pressured to playbut he/she looks uncomfortable participating. Peoplein the room are chanting the student’s name to gethim/her to play and someone yells, “This isn’t high school anymore!” What do you do?

Scenario 3

You notice a posting on social media about “initiation” for new members of your group. You’re not comfortable with what they are planning, but if you say anything, you’ll probably get harassed for messing withtradition. You dealt with it OK when you were a freshman, but you don’t want to be involved in doing it to someone else. What do you do?

Scenario 4

A friend of yours has been exercising more frequently and seems to have lost weight rapidly. At first you complimented her and told her she looked great. When you discuss her workout regime with her, she says she was required to wear a bikini recentlyfor a car wash fundraiser put on by her student organization to remain a member but she says she wants to lose even more b/c she’s still fat. You can see her ribs starting to show. What do you do?

Scenario 5

You are hanging out at Riley’s house with 2 of Riley’s roommates watching a TV showdepicting a lesbian couple. During a commercial, one of Riley’s roommates says, “This show is so gay. What is it with all the gay and transgender people these days? Is anyone normal anymore? ” He/she gets up and goes into the kitchen. What do you do?

Scenario 6

You go to see your professor about how you are doing in his class. As you approach the door you hear him talking to his TA. You hear him say, “Do you see how she dresses? I don’t know why girls where such outfits -- they look slutty. She’s totally asking for it but what does she expect? Meanwhile, how do they expect us to respect them intellectually?”
What do you do?

Scenario 7

Someone you’ve been in class with all semester appears to be very down. This person has become withdrawn and is not as active in class or in outside group activities as before. Yesterday you heard them say, “I’m sick of it. What’s the point anyway? Nothing’s ever going to change.” What do you do?

Scenario 8

You’re at a party with your friends, with whom you all have an agreement to look out for each other. As the night progresses you see one of your friends leaving with someone you know theyare interested in, yet is someone you’ve heard keeps a list of sexual conquests. You go up and remind them of the agreement and they say, “It’s all good. Really,I’m fine.I havemy cell phone – I can always call you.” What do you do?

Scenario 9

One of your teammates/group members seems to never take part in activities outside of practice/meetings–dinners, social events, community service events, etc. When you ask them about it they say that their partner already thinks they spend too much time with the team/group and prefers they have dinner with just the two of them every night. Last time the teammate did something with you, you heard the partner say, “Remember what I told you.”

What do you do?

Debrief:

  1. What was ambiguous in the scenario?
  2. What were some direct and indirect ways to help?
  3. What were the potential costs and benefits of intervening?