Parents will children of school-going age are being warned over a terrifying new online trend which has been dubbed a ‘suicide challenge’ and is known as The Game.
The twisted ’Game’ is said to be targeting children in the UK and parents are receiving emails from school principals warning them to be alert for it.
It is reportedly encouraging children to injure or even kill themselves, and also offers points for causing harm to others.
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The children are sent ‘dares’ which can involve self-harm, bullying and even suicide, according to Birmingham Live reports.
It’s understood that only children aged from ten to 15 can gain access and take part, according to the 'rules of The Game'.
Kingsmead School in Hednesford, Staffordshire is reportedly among those to send a warning to parents.
At this point, there have been no reports of any children at the school being involved in the sick challenge, and authorities do not believe it originated in the UK.
A concerned parent told Birmingham Live: "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.
In 2019, some UK and Irish schools also issued warnings about a so-called 'Momo' challenge which is understood to have originated in South America. It encouraged children to self-harm in images popping up on YouTube videos or during computer games.
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