Parents have been warned about a disturbing 'suicide challenge' known as The Game. Schools said the twisted dare game is targeting youngsters online.
Schools in the Midlands are among those who have emailed parents to alert them to the game, which is said to be encouraging children to injure or even kill themselves. It also offers points for causing harm to others.
The 'dares' are said to involve self-harm, bullying, and even suicide, Birmingham Live reports. Only children aged from ten to 15 are said to be allowed to take part, according to the 'rules of The Game'.
Kingsmead School in Hednesford, Staffordshire is among those to send a warning to parents. It is not believed any children at the school were involved in the online challenge, which is not thought to have originated in the UK.
A concerned parent told BirminghamLive: "I was horrified when the school contacted me and I read these so-called 'rules'. To be honest, social media sites need to take a look at what they are allowing on their sites because this is frightening.
"Certain words and phrases like 'cutting' and 'suicide' should spark red flags for social media companies. This kind of thing should never be allowed to be posted online."
The game's 10 so-called 'rules' are understood to have been shared on various apps and social media sites, including Snapchat, Whatsapp and Facebook.
In 2019, some UK schools also issued warnings about a so-called 'Momo' challenge which is understood to have originated in South America. It say children encouraged to self-harm by images popping up on YouTube videos or during computer games.
