Extract of Contentious Issues: Discussion Stories for Young People

Index of Subject Areas

The subject indicated may be brought up in the story itself or in the questions or answers following that story.

Abortion Tina's Decision* Story 32
Abuse, alcohol I Don't Remember Story 19
Abuse, child I Fell Down the Stairs Story 18
Abuse, solvent Goodbye Shaun* Story 3
Addiction Just One Last Game Story 10
AIDS SIDA Story 29
Bereavement, friend 'Atch Out!!* Story 5
Bereavement, friend Next Time? Story 36
Bereavement Exercise: Bereavement (After Story 36)
Bullying, designer clothes I Never Have Any Nice Clothes Story 21
Bullying, in school We Were Only Playing* Story 13
Bullying, playing 'Chicken' Chicken!* Story 14
Carrying a knife Joshua's Birthday Present* Story 1
Cheating Science Test! Story 6
'Chicken', playing Chicken!* Story 14
Communication with parents Hoi Ping's Unhappy Story 7
Computer games Just One Last Game Story 10
Counselling skills The Last Straw Story 40
Depression I'm so Tired Story 26
Depression, suicide The Last Straw Story 40
Designer clothes I Never Have Any Nice Clothes Story 21
Disability 'Atch Out!!* Story 5
Divorce/separation Slag! Story 12
Drugs, illegal Goodbye Shaun Story 3
Drugs, addictions Just One Last Game Story 10
Eating disorders No Thanks, I'm Not Hungry Story 25
Expectations Perspective Story 35
Extortion Extortion!* Story 4
Feelings Painful Puberty Story 16
Finders keepers Preeti's Lost Bracelet Story 9
Genetic illnesses Next Time? Story 36
Glandular fever I'm so Tired Story 26
'Grassing' Joshua's Birthday Present* Story 1
Homosexuality, homophobia TO LEAD BAGGY? Story 34
Honesty and tact Honesty Policy Story 15
Joyriding Joyrider Story 20
Kleptomania Shoplifter Story 22
Life, outlook on Perspective Story 35
ME/chronic fatigue syndrome I'm so Tired Story 26
Mental illness, eating disorders No Thanks, I'm Not Hungry Story 25
Mental illness, OCD My Mum's Not Well Story 23
Mental illness, panic attacks It Happened One Day Story 8
Mental illness, phobias It Happened One Day Story 8
Motherhood, teenage Trudy's Baby* Story 39
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) My Mum's Not Well Story 23
Panic attacks It Happened One Day Story 8
Parental pressure Science Test Story 6
Parental pressure Perspective Story 35
Phobias It Happened One Day Story 8
Pregnancy, teenage The Party* Story 31
Puberty, changes and feelings Painful Puberty Story 16
Racism A Better Class of People Story 11
Rape, date rape No!! Story 33
Reading someone else's diary Preeti's Lost Bracelet Story 6
Relationships He Was MY Boyfriend Story 28
Relationships, controlling Escape! Story 37
Relationships, decision-making Exercise: Decision-Making (After Story 37)
Relationships, teenage marriage Marriage* Story 38
Revenge Not so Sweet Revenge* Story 2
Rights, teenage and parental I'm a Person Too Story 24
Self-Esteem Perspective Story 35
Sexism Hands Off! Story 27
Sexual harassment Hands Off! Story 27
Shoplifting Shoplifter Story 22
Smoking 2052 AD Story 30
Stealing Preeti's Lost Bracelet Story 9
Stealing, cars Joyrider Story 20
Stealing, extortion Extortion!* Story 4
Stealing, kleptomania Shoplifter Story 22
Stealing, shoplifting Shoplifter Story 22
Stress Perspective Story 35
Suicide, teenage The Last Straw Story 40
Video-Nasties Nightmare Story 17

*Titles are connected with other stories. See the introduction to the relevant section to find out the order in which these stories should be read. (The questions in these stories can refer back to previous happenings as there is an underlying theme in addition to the problems that relate directly to that particular story.)

About the Book
Contentious Issues is of a collection of short stories and exercises written to promote discussion and awareness among young people aged between eleven and eighteen, for use by professionals and parents or guardians. Contentious Issues challenges young people to consider events and the part they themselves play in life, encouraging deeper thinking and awareness of how their behaviour can negatively affect others, producing more responsible and independently thinking young adults.

The book allows moral viewpoints to be expressed in the security of discussion of a fictional event so that participants do not feel threatened or intimidated by being presented with a problem taken directly from their own lives.

The book is intended to foster:feelings of moral obligations understanding of positive social behaviour understanding of the consequences of negative social behaviour understanding that there are not always single 'right' answers awareness of how to approach problems in life and how to carefully consider the options open to oneself feelings of responsibility for one's actions and inactions awareness of where to go for help when one is out of one's depth acceptance that it is not a sign of failure to admit to needing help a true understanding of what maturity is, rather than a misguided belief that it is shown by unyielding, uncompromising behaviour understanding of human nature and how people feel about things that have happened to them awareness of the opinions of other people one is in session with an open mind that is prepared to listen to all points of view before finally making up one's own mind an open mind that is prepared to change opinions in the light of new information or understanding of what's involved a caring of oneself and of others.

Although the stories were written with group work in mind, it is possible to use these stories one to one.

The stories represent current comprehensive school life in a multi-ethnic environment and focus on the concerns of the children (aged eleven to eighteen). The stories are designed to challenge racism and sexism (and many other stereotyped assumptions). Although only three of the stories deal specifically with race and gender issues, the characters come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. White and black children, for example, are equally in trouble, both displaying negative behaviour and suffering emotional difficulties, as are boys and girls.

This material enables students to think deeply about themselves and their attitudes and encourages them to modify any anti-social behaviour they may have. It also encourages those who need help to ask for it.

Sections One to Three are concerned with a multitude of issues that affect young people generally, such as bullying (in its many and varied forms), criminal acts, addictions, health issues, questions of right and wrong.

Section Four contains tasks as well as stories and has a single general theme - that of relationships, feelings and the inner person. Issues such as suicide, terminal illness, bereavement, marriage, teenage pregnancy, controlling relationships and decision-making are explored. These sessions are suitable for young people up to the age of eighteen. It is possible to use them for under sixteen-year-olds, if the material has direct relevance to the group.

Leaders' Notes
About one hour is needed to use each section of material productively. This, of course, can vary either way, depending on the ability and interests of the young people concerned.

The Leader should take a supervisory role, guiding participants back to the salient issues when side-tracked and to make sure that time is spread over the whole of the material. However, if a special interest is sparked this can be returned to at the end of the session or on a subsequent occasion.

Time permitting, more in depth thought may be provoked if the participants are in small groups - it is more likely that each will make a contribution in a smaller group and the quality of discussions may be better as their concentration may be more intense. However, if the whole group is small enough not to warrant sub-groups, time is saved by not needing to bring the findings together at the end.

Discussing emotive and contentious issues through stories takes the spot light off those who may feel threatened by issues directly relating to themselves. Also, any decisions about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour are made, not by someone in authority, but by others in their own peer group, allowing participants to view a situation with objectivity and without the resentment of being dictated to.

The Leader is not expected to present the answers - possible solutions to problems should come from the participants themselves, developing their sense of the world and what is right and wrong. Also, to many of the questions posed there is not just one right answer. It depends on the circumstances and the personalities involved and the backgrounds of the individuals.

The Leader must be sensitive to the participants but not to the point of agreeing with everything they say. The suggested answers should be used by the Leader to challenge viewpoints (to allow the participants to reach a deeper understanding) or to spark up further discussion about the situation and offer tentative suggestions when the participants have run out of ideas.

A good working relationship between the Leader and the participants is essential. Contact details have been provided for help or further information - either for the Leader or for the participants themselves.

The Leader Sheets are intended for Leader use only. Please note that any statistics or factual details refer to the UK only. If you are working in another country you may have to amend the answers suggested in the book (for example, the legal limit for driving under the influence of alcohol varies from country to country and in some is banned altogether). Also, the contact details given in the appendix are for UK readers only although the websites can be accessed from all over the world.

Note
All Stories and Discussion Sheets are photocopiable by the person, or persons within the institution, that bought the book as is the Appendix of Useful Contacts. The Leader Sheets are for Leader use only and may not be photocopied.

Introduction to Section One

Section One is concerned with issues aimed at eleven to fourteen year-olds. Stories one to five are interconnected with a developing theme and should be read in order although each story is complete in itself. The rest of the stories in Section One can be read in any order. Some of the characters in the stories also appear in later sections.

Summary of contents in section one Story Title Subject
1 Joshua's Birthday Present* Carrying a knife, 'grassing'
2 Not so Sweet Revenge* Revenge
3 Goodbye Shaun* Solvent abuse
4 Extortion!* Extortion
5 'Atch Out!!* Bereavement, disability
6 Science Test! Cheating, pressure from parents
7 Hoi Ping's Unhappy Communication with parents
8 It Happened One Day Phobias and panic attacks
9 Preeti's Lost Bracelet Stealing
10 Just One Last Game Computer games addiction
11 A Better Class of People Racism
12 Slag! Divorce/separation

*Titles in succession are interconnected and should be read in order.

STORY 1: Joshua's Birthday Present

Shaun, Hoi Ping and Rajesh were admiring Joshua's birthday present in the schoolyard before school. It was a penknife, but no ordinary one.

"Look," Joshua told them, opening it out, "It's a tin opener too. And it's got a cork screw and a screwdriver end here," he said, pointing to each special part in turn. "This is one of the best you can get," he informed them proudly. His father had told him that morning that it was a very good quality penknife and if he looked after it, it should last him for all his life. It was the best present he'd had.

Shaun looked at the knife with envy. Why wasn't he ever given something like that? He wished he'd got one.

Thinking about it in class, Shaun suddenly remembered it was against the school rules to bring a knife to school. That'll teach him, Shaun thought meanly, if it gets confiscated.

After lunch, during registration, Mrs Price, their form teacher called Joshua up to her desk. She quietly asked him about the penknife. Shaun busied himself with sorting out his books for the next lesson and pretended not to see.

Joshua went back to his bag to get the penknife to hand it over to Mrs Price. She told him she was going to 'phone his father. The whole class was watching him and he felt very embarrassed. His face felt as though it was on fire.

He'd only brought in his knife to show his friends. He now wished his Dad had never given him the thing. He'd been told not to take it to school, but he thought that just this once it wouldn't matter. His Dad would be furious.

On his way home he puzzled over how Mrs Price had got to know about the knife. No one had seen it apart from Shaun, Hoi Ping and Rajesh. And they wouldn't have told because they were friends!

The next day, Rajesh and Hoi Ping hurried over to Joshua as soon as he arrived. Joshua told them his Dad had hit the roof because he'd had to go to school to pick up the knife. It had made him look like he was irresponsible giving such a present to his son and he was angry because it had made him look foolish.

Rajesh told him that he knew who had told Mrs Price. His sister, Sangita, had seen Shaun go into Mrs Price's room at lunchtime. So it had been Shaun who had told on him! Joshua couldn't believe it at first. Why had he done it?

Then Shaun arrived and, as he approached, his smile faded because they were all looking at him as though he had some kind of disease. He knew they'd found out. He'd wished he hadn't done it almost as soon as he'd come out of Mrs Price's room, but it was too late then.

"Why?" Joshua asked him.

"It was against the school rules," Shaun replied. "You shouldn't have brought it in."

"He shouldn't have," agreed Hoi Ping. "But that's not really why you told was it?" "He was jealous!" Rajesh exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Shaun told Joshua.

"I'm sorry too," Joshua said. "I'm sorry I brought it in. I know it was wrong but I didn't think it would matter, just the once. And I thought you were my friend. Friends don't tell."

Discussion 1: Joshua's Birthday Present

1. Why is it a school rule not to bring knives of any kind to school? Is it a sensible rule?

2. How did Shaun feel after telling Mrs Price about the knife?

3. Have you ever done anything that you've later regretted?

4. Was it fair of the other pupils to ignore Shaun because he'd 'grassed'?

5. Was there a better way of letting Joshua know that he shouldn't have brought the knife to school?

6. There is an unwritten law that pupils shouldn't 'grass' on each other. Can you think of times when it is OK (or even advisable) to break that law?

7. How would you feel if your best friend 'grassed' on you? Would you try to understand why or would you stop being friends?

8. People make mistakes in relationships - right from childhood through to adulthood. Can your friendships survive misunderstandings or hurts, or do they break up at the first sign of trouble?

9. If someone wants to say sorry do you try to help out? Or do you make it hard for the person to make him or her suffer?

10. What happens when your parents or guardians fall out? Do you copy their way of solving problems or have you developed your own way of dealing with a hurtful friendship?

Leader Sheet 1: Joshua's Birthday Present

1. Why is it a school rule not to bring knives of any kind to school? To protect pupils from potential harm. To protect staff and the general public: even if the person bringing the knife to school does not intend any harm, it could be stolen from that person and then used by someone else. To protect the school from possible vandalism. Because it is an offence to carry sharp objects that can be used as weapons.
Is it a sensible rule?

Yes, it is a sensible rule. It is for the good of everyone.

2. How did Shaun feel after telling Mrs Price about the knife? Guilty. Scared (of being found out). Ashamed. Self-hating. Wishing he could turn the clock back or undo what he had just done.

3. Have you ever done anything that you've later regretted?

(Personal response required.)

4. Was it fair of the other pupils to ignore Shaun because he'd 'grassed'?

Yes: People feel very strongly about being 'grassed' on. Human nature would make them want to punish Shaun - and as he grassed because of jealousy and not because he thought anyone was in danger, his friends thought he deserved their treatment. He had broken his peer's 'social rules' and so was being excluded.

No: He should be given the opportunity to apologise and make amends rather than be ostracised.

5. Was there a better way of letting Joshua know that he shouldn't have brought the knife to school?

Shaun could have reminded Joshua that it was against the school rules and it was too risky to bring it in again and that someone might steal it from him.

6. There is an unwritten law that pupils shouldn't 'grass' on each other. Can you think of times when it would be OK (or even advisable) to break that law? If the person was being a danger to himself or others. If someone needed protection, for example, because of threats, bullying or extortion. If it was illegal in a big way. (Taking or supplying drugs.)

7. How would you feel if your best friend 'grassed' on you? Would you try to understand why or would you stop being friends?

(Personal responses required.)

8. People make mistakes in relationships - right from childhood through to adulthood. Can your friendships survive misunderstandings or hurts, or do they break up at the first sign of trouble?

(Personal response required.)

9. If someone wants to say sorry do you try to help out? Or do you make it hard for the person to make him or her suffer?

(Personal response required.)

10. What happens when your parents or guardians fall out? Do you copy their way of solving problems or have you developed your own way of dealing with a hurtful friendship?

(Personal responses required.)