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Android Phone09/15/2017

Blue Whale Game

Blue Whale Game – Suicide Challenge hits UK as ‘children as young as seven discover craze’

BLUE Whale Game is a monstrous online challenge that aims to goad vulnerable youngsters into taking their own lives. The vicious viral game has spread online via social media accounts, and reports suggest it has arrived in UK schools and is played by children as young as seven-years-old.

Reports indicate the Blue Whale Game may have come to the UK

GETTY • PICTURE POSED BY MODEL

Reports indicate the Blue Whale Game may have come to the UK

Blue Whale Game has purportedly arrived in the UK.The twisted viral challenge, which encourages participants to kill themselves, appears to have hit UK schools.According to one online security expert, schoolchildren as young as seven years-old have heard about the infamous Blue Whale Game.The Blue Whale Game aims to push vulnerable youngsters into taking their own lives.The suicide challenge has already been linked to some 130 deaths in Russia.Earlier this summer, the parents of a 16-year-old in Georgia, USA blamed the Blue Whale Game for the death of their daughter.“I start researching and start reading more about the game, what it’s asking. Then I start to put some of the pieces – how during the weekend she asked me to step on the roof of the house,” the mother told CBS North Carolina.“I realised one of the pictures is from our roof, and it’s something that the game asked.”

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here are hundreds of posts related to the sick trend on social media.The Blue Whale Game sees youngsters assigned one challenge a day for a 50-day stretch.Tasks are dolled-out by an anonymous administrator and participants are required to submit photo evidence each day to prove the challenge was completed.Blue Whale is so named because of the way whales will sometimes beach themselves and then die.As the tasks become more extreme over the 50 day period, some group administrators have encouraged members to self-harm – with some scoring the shape of a whale into the skin on their forearm.On the 50th day, group members are purportedly encourage to take their own lives.

Social media is filled with posts warning people against taking part in the The Blue Whale Game

INSTAGRAM

Social media is filled with posts warning people against taking part in the The Blue Whale Game

Online child protection specialist Jonathan Taylor has told Sky News that children in Year 3 in the UK education system have heard about the infamous challenge.”Last week I was in a primary school and a Year 3 pupil, a boy, asked me about it,” he said.”I would not be speaking to primary school children about Blue Whale but they know about it. When I asked who else had heard about this you had 20 hands go up.”The children are talking about Blue Whale.”They may not know exactly what they are talking about but the curiosity of a child … they may then go on to the internet to see what they can do.”The vast majority of reported fatalities have been reported in Russia, however incidents linked to the Blue Whale Game have also surfaced in Ukraine, Estonia, Kenya, Brazil and Argentina.

Instagram now includes a message about suicide when users search for posts relating to Blue Whale

INSTAGRAM

Instagram now includes a message about suicide when users search for posts relating to Blue Whale

As the sick trend has spread, Instagram has now rolled-out a warning to anyone who searches the social network for posts tagged as Blue Whale.

The children are talking about Blue Whale. They may not know exactly what they are talking about but the curiosity of a child … they may then go on to the internet to see what they can do

Jonathan Taylor

“These posts may contain graphic content,” the warning reads, “For information and support with suicide or self-harm please tap on learn more.”Trawling through posts with social hashtags linked to the challenge reveal images of people cutting themselves, as well as screenshots of online groups promoting some of the tasks set by administrators.No deaths in the UK have been linked to the twisted game, but police officers have been quick to warn parents about the craze.Earlier this year, Scottish police this week issued a statement about the game.A spokesperson warned: “Police Scotland has been made aware of a post entitled ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ circulating on the internet and its alleged association with incidents involving young people in Russia.“We are unaware of any cases in Scotland, however such issues highlight the importance of parents, guardians and those with responsibility for young people to speak with them about their online activity.“It is equally important for young people never to feel pressured either online or offline into doing something they are not happy with or could potentially harm them.“If you have been affected, or know of someone who is or could be involved in this ‘challenge’, we would encourage you to speak to an adult or someone you trust.

“You can also phone 101 for police assistance, or contact the NSPCC.

“You can also report it via the CEOP website or via CrimeStoppers on 0800 111 555 or childline.org.uk/get-support

“As you would in everyday life, we would encourage everyone, young and old to start the conversation and ensure they keep safe whilst online.”

 

Russian university student Oleg Kapaev planned to throw himself from a building to complete one of the challenges set to him by a Blue Whale administrator.Fortunately, Mr Kapaev’s parents discovered what he planned to do and managed to save him.He told Sky News: “I didn’t feel like I needed to kill myself. I felt I needed to complete the task.”I only had this thought in my head – that I need to complete the task.”Children should remember not to follow the crowd or feel pressure to do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) said in a statement.A spokesperson told Express.co.uk, “Children can find it difficult to stand up to peer pressure but they must know it’s perfectly okay to refuse to take part in crazes that make them feel unsafe or scared.”Parents should talk with their children and emphasise that they can make their own choices and discuss ways of how to say no.”Reassuring a child that they can still be accepted even if they don’t go along with the crowd will help stop them doing something that could hurt them or make them uncomfortable.”

  • For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch
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