Learn about sexual harassment with a fun board game

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Read the following story by Suwitcha Chaiyong from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.

Even though Ploykanok Thubthong, 17, and Chonthicha Wirat, 17, experienced sexual harassment, they did not know much about the issue until they joined the competition "Games And Learning 2021".

They teamed up with classmates Tippawadee Inthanon, 17, and Suvaree Ngampunja, 18, at Satri Wat Absornsawan School to create the board game Escape From Danger, to tackle sexual harassment. Since the girls experienced harassment on their way home, Escape From Danger portrays students' journeys after school.

Three to six male or female players can play together. Each player has to roll two dice and take turns to "walk" on the board. In the game, a player will encounter situations inspired by 30 real cases. They choose one of six reaction cards -- ignore, escape, shout, report, trick or warn. A player also receives "items cards" -- a spray, a whistle, an electrical self-defence device, a bag, an umbrella and a mobile phone.

To create the game and base it on accurate information, the girls carried out extensive research. Tippawadee said they learned that sexual harassment means any unwelcome verbal, non-verbal or physical sexual action.

According to a 2017 survey one in three people said they experience sexual harassment. Women accounted for around 45% of respondents, followed by LGBTIs and lastly men.

Patcharee said that children should learn about their body rights at a very early age.

"Children who understand their body rights can protect themselves from being harassed because they will refuse to let someone touch them or immediately inform their parents if they are harassed. Young people must learn how to say no and avoid potentially risky situations," she explained.

On the back of the card for each case there are possible solutions.

"The solution on the card is what we think is a safe way to handle that situation. For instance, if a student is teased by a motorcycle taxi driver, the solution is to either ignore it or report it to the authorities. Motorcyclists usually stay in a group, so a student should not argue with them as it can lead to a risky situation. A student should ignore it and later report the incident to the district office or police officer," explained Ploykanok.




Section 1: Write the correct answer in the space provided.
1. What is the maximum number of players for a game of EFD? …………….
2. How many real cases of harassment were used in the game? …………….
3. When did one third of people say they experienced sexual harassment? …………….
4. What should a student not do when harassed by a motorcyclist? …………….

Section 2: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
"Our first edition was very …5… . It was …6… about how it was not fun and engaging, so we made it more …7… . At first, our cards were written in English but many players did not …8… understand the messages, so we changed to Thai.”
 
5. __A. serious             __B. difficulty                __C. challenge
6. __A. critic                 __B. criticised               __C. critical
7. __A. compete            __B. competition           __C. competitive
8. __A. clear            __B. clearly                __C. clearing

       
Section 3: Match each verb with the correct definition.

ignore, escape, shout, report, trick, warn

9. to make someone aware of a possible danger or problem …………….
10. to give a statement or description of what has been said, seen, done etc …………….
11. to speak with a very loud voice …………….
12. to not listen or give attention to something …………….
13. to get free from or avoid something …………….
14. to make someone believe something that is not true …………….


Answers: 1. six. 2. 30. 3. 2017. 4.argue. 5. a. 6. b. 7. c. 8. b. 9. warn. 10. report. 11. shout. 12. ignore. 13. escape. 14. trick.