“There are certain times,” thought Lisa, “when you know things have gone from really bad to out of control.” The party had started out fine, like they always do. And things got a little crazy, like they always do. But Lisa’s friend Sarah, a small framed senior had had way too much alcohol and had been throwing up for an hour while going in and out of consciousness. There were no adults around and they were miles from the nearest town, at somebody’s vacation home.
“We need to call 999 or take Sarah to the hospital now!” Lisa said to the group of five friends in the bathroom with Sarah.
“No way,” one of the girls said. “We’d be in so much trouble. My parents cannot know I’m even here! If they find out, this will be my last time out of the house before leaving for college!”
Lisa felt more scared than ever before in her life. She felt in her gut that Sarah was worse off than any of them could deal with, and if they didn’t get help she might even die. But what if she was wrong? What if everything gets better in an hour and everyone hates her for making a huge deal out of just a “bad situation” at a party?
The girls continued arguing. Three of them agreed with Lisa. Two of them were adamant about dealing with it on their own. Lisa felt like time was running out. What should she do?
- Which side do you think you would be on in the argument between the girls?
- What do think Lisa was most scared about in this situation? Do you relate to what she was feeling? How/how not?
- Have you or anyone you know been in a situation similar to Lisa's or Sarah’s?
- What are some of the obstacles you might face when you feel like you should seek help in a dangerous situation?
- How many of you feel like you have someone you could call if you were in a situation like Lisa’s?
- Have your parents or someone you trust ever talked through possible situations with you and discussed a possible plan for each one? Would you want them to? Why/why not?
- What would need to happen in a situation like this for you to feel like it was time to call 999 or seek help?
- One of Lisa’s fears was that she would be laughed at or hated if she called for help or took Sarah to the hospital. Do you think she was right about that? Have you ever known that to happen to someone?
- How much ethical responsibility should each member have in this situation? Sarah? Lisa? Her other friends? The parents who own the house?