Risk Calculator

David has a busy week. He has two tests, a quiz, piano lessons, a soccer tournament and student council elections. David wants to do his best in everything so he can get into a good college, but he’s stressed out. 

After soccer practice, David’s teammate Jacob offers him some Adderall he bought from a friend. Jacob says “all the smartest kids” use Adderall to stay focused on homework and activities. 

What kind of risk is taking unprescribed Adderall?

Unhealthy.

Why is this an unhealthy risk? 

It’s dangerous to take medicines that a doctor hasn’t prescribed. 

How does David respond? 

David is intrigued by the idea of Adderall helping him focus. But he’s more worried about the dangers of a medicine he’s not meant to take. This week is important, and he doesn’t want to feel sick or get in trouble. David declines Jacob’s offer. Later that night, David researches healthy focus techniques.

Maddie is new at school and wants to make friends. In choir, she meets Rachel and Charlie who are both well-liked and friendly. They invite Maddie to have lunch with them. At lunch, Rachel and Charlie tell Maddie that they and some other people from choir are going to hang out in the park later and smoke some marijuana. They ask her to join them.

What kind of risk is smoking marijuana?

Unhealthy.

Why is this an unhealthy risk? 

Smoking marijuana is harmful to a person’s health. In many places, it is also an illegal substance.

How does Maddie respond?

Maddie wants to fit in, but is worried about the consequences of smoking marijuana. Maddie worries smoke would harm her ability to sing. She also doesn’t want to get in trouble with her parents or her new school. She tells Rachel and Charlie that she does not want to smoke marijuana and leaves to practice for the upcoming school musical auditions.

Jordan was excited that his older brother, Noah, invited him to play video games at his college dorm. A few of Noah’s friends are there too, and Jordan has fun getting to know the guys and playing games. Eventually, one of Noah’s friends, Alex, offers Jordan a white pill that he says is Xanax. Alex says Xanax is an easy way to relax and everyone does it. 

What kind of risk is taking Xanax?

Unhealthy.

Why is this an unhealthy risk? 

Xanax is in a category of drugs called benzodiazepines, or sometimes benzos for short. Benzodiazepines are addictive sedatives that can be dangerous and even deadly.

How does Jordan respond?

Jordan wants to look cool in front of his older brother, but knows that Xanax is addictive and harmful in even small doses. He tells Alex that he does not want any Xanax and asks Noah to take him home.

Carly drives her friends Tia and Matt to a Halloween party at a friend’s house. At the party, Carly and Matt start drinking alcohol while Tia chooses not to drink. The party starts to wind down and Carly, Tia and Matt decide they want to pick up food on their way home. Carly knows she is intoxicated, but her parents have been mad at her before for letting someone else drive her car. Tia is sober and offers to drive. Carly hesitates.

What kind of risk is drunk driving?

Unhealthy

Why is this an unhealthy risk? 

Alcohol impairs decision making and coordination, making it extremely dangerous and illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

How does Carly respond?

Carly weighs the risk of her parents getting upset that she let someone else drive her car versus the risk of driving drunk. She knew that if she drove drunk she could get in serious trouble or hurt or kill herself and her friends. Carly gives her keys to Tia and lets Tia drive.

Carter has had a crush on Emma for a while, so he is thrilled when she invites him to hang out with her and a few of their friends. Carter arrives at Emma’s house to find out her parents are gone for the night and one of their friends, Caleb, brought alcohol. Caleb suggests playing a drinking game that would get them drunk quickly through binge drinking. 

What kind of risk is binge drinking?

Unhealthy.

Why is this an unhealthy risk? 

Drinking too much alcohol has negative short-term and long-term effects. Binge drinking can lead to injuries, destructive decisions and alcohol poisoning.

How does Carter respond?

Carter wants to impress Emma, but knows that binge drinking is harmful. He worries that if he chooses to drink, he could hurt himself or get in trouble with his parents. Carter says he doesn’t want to participate in the drinking game and leaves. The next day, Carter offers to host an alcohol-free barbecue at his house and his friends are excited to go.

It’s Friday night, and Leo is at his school’s football game with friends. Leo goes to get some popcorn and spots his friend Ty with a girl from their math class, Allie. Allie is standing in a corner and Ty is blocking her from moving. Leo thinks Allie looks uncomfortable and even scared, but isn’t sure. And Ty is Leo’s friend, he wouldn’t do anything bad, right?

What kind of risk is checking to see if Allie is okay?

Healthy.

Why is this a healthy risk? 

Leo is in a position to stop a potential sexual assault. Leo risks Ty getting angry with him, but he gains the certainty that Allie is safe and the opportunity to talk to Ty about why what he’s doing is wrong. 

How does Leo respond?

Leo walks up to Ty and Allie and asks if everything is okay. Ty is annoyed with Leo, but Allie looks relieved and excuses herself. Leo explains that it looked like Ty was trying to sexually coerce Allie. Ty is still upset with Leo, but admits that he should have been more respectful of Allie’s feelings.

Ellie and her friend Luke get back to Ellie’s house after going on a bike ride. On the porch are Ellie’s parents, who are discussing current events and gay rights. Ellie’s dad seems annoyed and uses a gay slur at one point in the conversation. Luke is visibly upset to hear Ellie’s dad say the slur. Luke told Ellie he was gay a few months ago, and Ellie knows Luke doesn’t want anyone else to know yet. 

What kind of risk is Ellie taking if she corrects her father?

Healthy

Why is this a healthy risk?

While Ellie may start an uncomfortable conversation with her father, she can raise his awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and guide him to becoming more accepting. Ellie will also help Luke feel understood and supported.

How does Ellie respond?

Ellie tells her dad that he shouldn’t say that slur, no matter who hears it. She explains that the slur is extremely hurtful for a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Ellie also mentions that her dad can’t understand the destructive power of the slur because he is not gay. Ellie’s dad apologizes and Ellie suggests that they have a more in-depth conversation about gay rights later. Luke is thankful that Ellie stood up for him without mentioning his sexuality.

Anthony and Evan are taking a break from homework to watch some TikToks. They scroll through videos for a while and come across a new account from two girls they recognize from gym class. The account only has a few videos, but the girls make mean-spirited, racist jokes in every video. They even directly bully black students from their school. Anthony and Evan are both horrified by the videos. 

Anthony wants to tell the principal about this TikTok account, but is also nervous because he’s black and doesn’t want to be the target of even more racist comments or videos from his classmates. Evan is white and hates to see his friend upset, but worries about backlash he could receive for speaking out and hopes the videos go away on their own.

What kind of risk are Anthony and Evan taking if they report the TikTok account?

Healthy.

Why is this a healthy risk?

The girls making the racist TikToks are bullying their fellow students and contributing to an unsafe school environment for students of color. When Anthony and Evan express their anger with the TikToks, they can stop more racist videos from being posted and empower other students to fight racism.

How do Anthony and Evan respond?

Anthony explains to Evan that if they do nothing, then they allow the girls to continue bringing racism and bullying into their school. Anthony and Evan decide to recruit their friends to sign a petition to delete the TikTok account and hold discussions about racism in all English classes. They give the petition to the principal, who agrees to their requests.

Henry is passionate about two things: basketball and mental health. He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and play college basketball. Henry has also witnessed his father’s battle with depression and his older sister’s struggles with anxiety. He wants to help open up conversations about mental health so his peers have resources and support that his father and sister didn’t have.

Henry tells his basketball teammates that he wants to start a student organization that discusses mental health and supports students who are struggling. His teammates tell him that talking about feelings is girly and he should find a girl to start the organization for him. Henry is disappointed, but wants his teammates to think he’s cool and not too emotional.

What kind of risk is Henry taking if he starts a mental health organization?

Healthy.

Why is this a healthy risk?

Henry’s school needs more mental health resources, so starting this organization would help his peers. And by breaking the stereotype that talking about mental health is girly, Henry can bring more comprehensive mental health support to all students.

How does Henry respond?

Henry’s father encourages him to pursue his passions. With that push, Henry recruits students from his psychology class to start a mental health support club. They start giving presentations about mental health issues to other classes and spark meaningful conversations in the school. Colleges then take notice of Henry for his basketball talents and his initiative to start an impactful organization.