Students involved in games of self-asphyxiation
parents, please be aware
Dear Parents April 2, 2007
There is currently growing concern about the prevalence of student involvement in "games" involving self-asphyxiation. The behaviors involve constriction of the neck, resulting in an interruption in oxygen supply, and often in death. There are a number of social names for these "games", including: the Choking game, Passout game, Space Monkey, Black out, Flatliner, Space Cowboy and Choke Out.
As a response to some parent comments about potential such activities, Mrs. Golladay, our elementary counselor, has spoken about this topic to 6th grade students at MES. It is our feeling that parents need to be aware about the risks of these types of activities and be proactive in talking with their children.
Many teens and preteens have engaged in these activities, which they believe to be harmless. Apparently participants believe there is a brief high or euphoric state by stopping the flow of blood containing oxygen to the brain. In some forms of the "game", children choke each other until the person being choked passes out. The pressure on the arteries is then released and blood flow to the brain resumes, causing a 'rush' as consciousness returns.
The problem is that most individuals who are experimenting with this "game", do not see the risk involved. They don't understand that the neck area supplies all the blood to the brain. Whether they self-asphyxiate with pressure to the neck or by another method, the effect is the same. They lose consciousness AND CAN DIE!!
Many young people see the game as a way to participate in risk taking activity that is not illegal (like drug use or alcohol), and do not understand the potential for death.
Perhaps one of the biggest dangers is that, while the suggestion of these types of activities may originate when youngsters are in groups (overnight parties, gatherings, etc), some individuals may then try these activities on their own in private. A number of deaths that have occurred from "the choking game" have been discovered by parents in the child's own homes. Some of the items known to be utilized in this "game" include neckties, ropes, cords, belts, straps, etc.
It is critical that parents sit down and talk to their kids about the deadly game and urge them to tell an adult if they have a friend playing it. Home rules including not allowing kids to lock bedroom doors may be a preventive measure.
We hope that the above information has been helpful to you and that you will talk about this subject with your children. It would be our hope that no one in our school or community would ever be affected by this type of tragedy.
Please see additional information at the bottom of this letter, and reference to a website that might be helpful.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Golladay, MES Counselor
Gail Gilkerson, School Nurse
Bert Lord, MES principal
The organization "Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play" International is an association dedicated to stopping the self-destructive behavior of young people. This organization sponsors a website:
Choking game warning signs:
-Any questions about the effects, sensations or dangers of strangulation.
-Any suspicious mark on the side of the neck, sometimes hidden by a turtleneck, a scarf or a permanently turned-up collar.
-Any changes in personality such as aggression or agitation.
-Any kind of strap, rope or belt lying about near the child without any reason. Questions about such objects are often eluded.
-Headaches, sometimes very bad ones, loss of concentration, a flushed face.
-Bloodshot eyes or any other noticeable signs of stress on the eyes
-An unexplained thud in the bedroom or against the wall, which could be indicative of an unattended fall in cases of solitary practice of the "choking" game.
