I only knew about the existence of this game kids play today. A few kids have died as a result of them.
The game–also known as suffocation roulette, space monkey, pass-out, knock-out, or flatliner–can cause brain damage, disability, and even death.
children 10 to 12 years old were choking each other until they passed out,”
Source : Department of Public Health
Well, this does sound like the sexual asphyxiation adults do for that extra high. But kids? What cause them? Why? What drove them to the edge? Why do they get thrills on this risk?
I wish I can babble on with my opinions but apparently, not. I had read through the journals of several moms whose children died as a consquence of doing this. To give my own opinions would be unfair to the bereaved families. I am a bereaved mom and also know so many parents who lost their children.
Yet, there is something disturbing about this. I hope by blogging about them, we parents can be made aware of the challenges faced by our children. Keep the communication line open, folks! Yet, sometimes this did not work too.
Heck, I am not used to be tongue-tied like this. So, to cut a long story short, let’s look at the preventive measures :
WHAT IS THE BEST PREVENTION?
Essential is to talk to the children about the
dangers – keeping in mind they feel it’s ‘just passing
out’ because it’s not doing drugs or illegal. Tell them
that EVERY time they are risking DEATH -either brain
cells or themselves.
If your child IS actively participating:
Increase supervision- be aware of your
child activities and whereaboutsRemove any paraphernalia that could be
used as a ligature.Alert school personnel (principal, nurse,
counselor, school police, teachers, etc.)If one student is involved, there probably
are others involved.Alert the parents of your children
friends.Consult with a physician to explore and
address any health needs that have
resulted due to participation in this
activity.If an older teen is involved, younger
children in the same family may be at risk
for participating in this activity.
Source websites:www.lungdiseases.about
www.connectwithkids.com
So, kids, if any of you are reading this, please, please don’t ever try this. Even if you think it is cool to show-off to your friends. Or you think that your existence does not matter to anyone. Do talk to an adult if you know any of your friends playing this.
Adults, time for us to ponder over this, isn’t it? We cannot just brush aside that this is a Western country’s trend. Our children are now living in a borderless world and it is our responsibilities to be a step ahead.
Related read :
Dylan Blake foundation
Links to the websites belong to the children whom had died are available from Dylan Blake’s site.
what happened to just playing marbles?
wuching: play marbles? IF satellite TVs and the Internet is available during your childhood, would you still be playing those marbles? Lolz.
wuching: Playing “marbles” sounds dodgy.
alexallied: Following that line of reasoning, why would children be playing space-monkey? Wouldn’t they just play their console games? Kind of hard to believe that all this is happening during recess.
hear about it from one of my friend some time back ( a few years go) but did not think it was so serious. the way they put it is it’s a trick to get their friends to ‘faint’ and everyone else has a good laugh afterwards.
It sounds like a case of MSBP, the only difference being the one doing it happens to be the kid this time and not the mom.
I still feel that the most important is communication between parents and child. No matter how busy their schedule may be, they should have the time to speak with them and hear them out. Not just to impose curfews or mete out punishment on bad behaviour.
Children do all sorts of things to attract their parents’ attention when they feel deprived, especially when it’s a big family. Why have children when you dont have time for them.
Being attentive and sensitive over changes in child behaviour is also something that parents have to be at all times. The bottomline is to spend time with your children. Bleh, i’m getting long winded…
hmm,…..the kids nowadays are under tremendous stress unlike or time…care free and just play whenever we want with limits of course..or else kena rotan….poor them
I agree completely that spending time with your child and building and maintaining an open honest relationship is essential as they enter into those difficult teen years.
Dylan and I were very close, he was the only child or a single parent. It was he and I wherever we went, what ever we did. Dinner table conversations were focused on OUR lives, what he was up to, what I was up to. Comparing thoughts on the ways of the world. Dylan was 11 and I knew those days were going to change as he entered into the teen years and natural pulled away from his mother and began discovering more about himself.
My point being that it is not a matter of the relationship of parent child when these kids try the Choknig Game, they think it’s safe. They have learned of the game and thinks it’s not a big deal, not drugs, not drinking.
If I’d known of the Choking Game I would have told Dylan what the consequences were to playing and that kids just like him, many kids, have DIED.
Don’t bank on your relationship, don’t bank on that your kid wouldn’t do it (Dylan came home one day after a DARE class and told me I’d better stop drinking my morning coffee because it was a drug. He knew right from wrong). They are children, they think nothing can hurt them. They must be taught that this is dangerous just as they are taught about how to cross the street, stranger danger, drugs, drinking, all of it.
Talk to your kids today.
Passing out is not worth Passing away.
Sincerely,
Kate Blake
For more info visit here: http://www.ChokingGameInformation.com