Tony begins the game with 4 orange risk cards.
Tony was born into a poor neighborhood (low SES) on the south side of Chicago. His mother was 17 when she gave birth to Tony 6 weeks premature. He was 2.4 ounces at birth, and addicted to cocaine. Tony's early years were characterized by placement in and out of a variety of foster homes. There was no father present, and his mother had been declared "unfit" by social services after numerous complaints by neighbors that an infant was being left alone for long periods of time. The foster homes have not been a pleasant experience for Tony, as he has been bounced around the system, and often the care-givers were more interested in a check from Uncle Sam than in his welfare. The school system that he attends is currently rated in the bottom 5% for the state of Illinois, and hospital records indicate that his family has a history of alcohol abuse.
Mary begins the game with 3 orange risk cards.
Mary was born into a middle class family living just outside of Seattle, Washington. Her father is an alcoholic with a terrible temper who often turns violent at the slightest provocation. Her mother is a co-dependent, and Mary has grown up watching her mother tolerate her father's behavior. Although things outside the home look normal to a casual observer, home life is characterized by fear for Mary. As is often the case, only one child receives the brunt of abuse. Unfortunately for Mary, the oldest of the 4 children living in the house, she receives a vast proportion of the abuse and often tries to shield her siblings. A history of alcoholism is present on her father's side of the family.
Rachel begins the game with 3 orange risk cards.
Rachel is currently the only child born to her mother, and they
live in Atlanta, GA. No father is currently in the picture and
her mother is not sure nor does she care who the father is.
Rachel and her mother are living on public assistance. Rachel's
mother is suffering from bipolar (manic-depressive) illness,
however, has not been diagnosed and is not receiving treatment.
Unlike a good portion of people suffering from bipolar illness
who cycle from mania to depression over a period of weeks or
months, Rachel's mother's mood swings on a 48 hour clock. Rachel
does not know how to interpret her mothers rapid mood swings.
Rachel has developed one close relationship with another girl at
school, and often spends time at her friend's house. There is a
history of mental illness on Rachel's mother's side. The history
on the father's side is not known.
Michael begins the game with 2 orange risk cards.
Michael was born the third child into a military family. His
family has moved three times since Michael was born, and they are currently stationed in Fort Hood, TX. The last move was
especially difficult on Michael, as he had to leave his best
friend and a school that he liked behind. Michael's father, an
infantry soldier, spends a great deal of time away from home on
field exercises so Michael and his one brother and two sisters
are being raised primarily by their mother. Michael's mother
loves her children; however, she has a drinking problem that can
make her violent. Additionally, Michael has noticed that other
men have been staying over while his father is away on military
exercises. His mother has made Michael "promise" that he will
say nothing to his father about the other men. Michael feels torn
about his loyalty to both his parents.
Samantha begins the game with 2 orange risk cards.
Samantha was born into a lower class family in Norman, OK.
She is part of a very large family. The sixth of nine
children, the Reston's home can best be described as loving, but
busy. Samantha enjoys her home life, as there is always someone
around to play with. Sam's problems are in school. The school
system she attends is rated in the bottom 10% state-wide, and
Samantha is doing poorly in school. She tries extremely hard,
but does not seem to "get it", and the other children have
started to make fun of her as she may have to be left back a
grade. Samantha has dyslexia, but up until this point, nobody has
detected the disability. She has started to feel that she
may be "dumb" as the other children say (except her best friend
Lindsay). There is some alcoholism in the family history, but
neither of Sam's parents drink.
John begins the game with 2 orange risk cards.
John was born the oldest child in the town of Harrisburg, PA.
John's father is a truck driver who spends the majority of the
year making long-distance hauls. When John's father is home
between trips, most of his free time is spent at the local
tavern. John had developed an extremely close relationship with
his mother. That has changed recently, however, since his sister
was born with trisomy 21, and has required special attention (the
majority of the mother's time). John has been unable to develop
any close relationships at school with peers, as has been
labeled an "nerd" by his classmates. He does spend quite a
bit of time reading, and spends quality time with the family dog,
"Spot". No history of mental illness is present on either side
of the family.
Tommy begins the game with 1 orange risk card.
Tommy was born into a farming community in Nebraska. His
parents can best be described as strict, but rather caring of their four
children. Tommy, along with his 3 brothers and sisters all
attend local Catholic schools, which they can barely afford.
Tommy is an average student in school, and has
some friends. He participated in after-school sports until
last spring. Tommy reported that he had witnessed the coach of
the local youth soccer team naked with one of his friends in the
shower. He was extremely disturbed by this event, and his
parents, not sure what to do, pulled him off of the team and
reported the coach to the local authorities. Although the coach
was prosecuted, Tommy had to make numerous court appearances
describing what he had witnessed. Tommy's outward behavior has
not visibly changed. He has, however, been having
nightmares about the event recently.
Alexandria begins the game with 1 orange risk card.
Alex was born an only child into the country community of Zuni in
Virginia. She was an unusually quick-tempered child who can best
be described as "overreactive". Although she was born into a
loving family, Alex has not been able to develop any close
relationships with similar age peers to this point. Her home is
isolated from neighbors who have children of similar age, and her quick
temper at school has made it difficult to maintain friendships
for longer than a day or two. Additionally, Alexandria is the
tallest child in her class, which has led to quite a bit of
teasing by the other children with subsequent lashing out from
Alexandria. She has, however, developed a friendship with
Miss Jones, her English teacher, who has made it a point to give
her special attention.
Gabrielle begins the game with no cards.
Gabrielle was born into a family that could be described as "working poor" on the East side of Los Angeles. The third of three girls, she was cared for primarily by her mother. Her father works up to 14 hours a day, but still manages to spend time with the family after work and on Sundays after church. Gabrielle's parents are very strict but loving. Neither of them has graduated high school, as they were married at 17 when her mother was pregnant with her older sister. Although not well-educated themselves, her parents stress the importance of education to all their children. The parents seem really to live for them, the children's care being the top priority in their lives. They provide for them better than many families with more money by being frugal. The school that Gabrielle attends, however, is poor. The neighborhood in which she is growing up has recently taken a turn for the worse as drug dealers have moved in. Even so, the family is fortunate to have an option to move to a better neighborhood where a number of their relatives live, that is almost as close to Dad's work. No family history of drug or alcohol abuse.
Josh begins the game with 1 green protective card.
Josh was born to an extremely wealthy family in Westchester N.Y. Both parents are professionals. His mother is a highly respected heart surgeon, while his father is a law partner in a highly successful firm. Josh, as an only child, has been raised primarily by a long list of nannies. His parents are not only busy professionals but also enjoy a full social calendar. Since the age of 5, he has spent his summers at camp while his parents vacation in Europe. Camp, like private school, is extremely hard on him, as he is overweight and the other kids make fun of him. Josh has developed no close relationships at this point in his life, but is an extremely bright child who enjoys solitary activities such as working on computers.
Philip begins the game with 1 green protective card.
Philip Bouchard's mother died at birth from unexpected
complications. Philip's father had tried to care for him alone,
but wound up putting Philip up for adoption at the age of six
months. It was later learned that Philip's father had committed
suicide shortly after giving up his son (grief over the loss of
his wife). Philip was adopted by a loving couple who had not
been able to have children. Philip, living in a middle class
community just outside New Orleans, has had a relatively happy
childhood, and attends a school that is rated as one of the top
schools in the district. Philip, unaware of the circumstances
that led to his adoption (sealed records), has been plagued by
feelings of wanting to discover where he "really" comes from even
though he loves his new family dearly. No family history of
mental illness is known.
Sandy begins the game with 2 green protective cards.
Sandy was born into a financially secure and loving home just
outside of Kansas City, MO. Sandy is the second of three
children. Both of her parents work. They have time for the children, however,
as her father runs a small business out of the home while her mother
works four days a week as a registered nurse in a retirement
home. Sandy has had a happy childhood until recently. Sandy had
had an extremely close relationship with her grandmother who died
of lung cancer over a year ago. Since that time, Sandy has
become an aggressive child in school, and will often not follow
the instruction of teachers (behavior which was uncharacteristic
before the death of her grandmother). Her parents have taken her
to see a counselor, but his had not seemed to help the current
situation. Her parents hope Sandy's difficulties will pass, and are talking about other ways they might try to help her. No family history of mental illness.
Peter begins the game with 2 green protective cards.
Peter was born into a middle class family in Erie, PA. The third of three children, Peter lives at home with his mother and 2 sisters. Even though his parents are divorced, he sees his father on a regular basis and both of his parents are actively involved in the lives of the three children. Peter likes the school he attends and has developed some good relationships with other students, and is active in after-school sports. Peter, however, believes that his parents divorce is somehow his fault. Although both parents love and treat their children well, each blames the other for the divorce and often use the children to "get back" at the former spouse. Peter often feels in the middle. Fortunately, he has a good relationship with two uncles who live nearby, and the grandparents also try to help. No family history of mental illness or substance abuse.
Elisabeth begins the game with 3 green protective cards.
Elisabeth was the second child born to parents who live on Grand Island, NY. She was born into a loving and stable home. Her parents are independently wealthy, and both are professors at a local college. Both Mom and Dad work part-time and their schedules are constructed so that one of them was always home with the children. Elisabeth is a pretty girl with a pleasant temperament. The school she attends is excellent, and a math teacher has taken a special interest in her because she has excelled in the subject. She has developed several close relationships with peers. No history of mental illness on either side of her family.
Go back to Instructions.