Parents warned of new suicide game 'Blue Whale Challenge'

Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison is alerting parents about the new suicide game ‘Blue Whale Challenge'.  
   
The Blue Whale Challenge is an online game which originated in Russia and has been blamed for 130 suicides in that country within the last six months.  
 
In a statement on Tuesday, Mrs. Gordon Harrison urged parents to be extremely vigilant in monitoring their children’s social media usage.              

Several countries in the region including Antigua, Martinique and St.
Lucia have issued alerts to schools outlawing the game.  
   
Warnings have also been issued in European countries where authorities have urged parents to be alert to sudden changes in the behaviour of their children, especially if they are frequent users of social media.  
   
The game consists of 50 challenges, each of which needs to be performed daily.
     
Each challenge is intended to encourage the player to do things like jump from the roof of a building, cut their skin with a razor in the shape of a whale or to hang themselves on day 50 in order to be declared the ‘winner’.
   
The activities are assigned by a ‘group administrator’ who is responsible for issuing each group member with their tasks daily.
   
In 2015, Jamaica's Ministry of Education issued a ban against students playing the game 'Charlie, Charlie Challenge' in schools after claims that those who participated in the game displayed paranormal behaviour or appeared to become demon-possessed.