Blue Whale Challenge

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The Blue Whale Challenge , also known as the Blue Whale Game , is an internet phenomenon that first became known in Russia at the end of 2016 and also in Europe in mid-2017. In the challenge, the participant is given one task a day for fifty days, at the end of which the participant should commit suicide . It was probably a hoax at first , but then through various media reports it became a real phenomenon.

In the summer of 2020, the challenge received renewed attention on platforms such as Instagram , TikTok and Facebook .

background

Journalist Galina Mursalijewa first reported on the Internet phenomenon in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta . The game is said to be played on various social media and has developed from various so-called "death groups", i.e. forums that deal with death and suicide. In her article, Mursalieva described the group "F57", which was active on the social network VKontakte and allegedly driven about 130 teenagers to suicide. A blue whale is used as a distinguishing feature, which the participants should scratch. The participant will then be given instructions from an "administrator" for over 50 days which must be followed. These start out harmlessly (get up at 4:20 a.m., watch a horror film) and increase to self-harming actions of varying degrees. In the end, the main character should die. If the participant tries to get off, he or his family will be threatened.

The origin of the name is unclear. A song by the Russian band Lumen is often mentioned as a derivation , in which the image of a blue whale appears that cannot escape from the net. Another derivation is the alleged practice of blue whales to go to a beach in order to willingly kill themselves.

distribution

The first reports from Russia were likely based on a serious and greatly exaggerated hoax. The death toll that Mursalieva named in her report was based on estimates and did not stand up to closer scrutiny. But the report spread rapidly in Russia and reached other countries. This led to acts of imitation, free riders and the adaptation of the game principle in other social media. Further reports ensured that the phenomenon spread around the world.

Cases made known

Russia

According to official information, around 130 preliminary investigations in connection with the challenge had been conducted by March 2017. There were at least three deaths. In Irkutsk , Siberia, for example, two girls aged 14 and 15 killed themselves after completing 50 tasks. The two committed suicide together by throwing themselves off a building. Another 14-year-old girl threw herself in front of a train.

In 2016, 21-year-old former psychology student Philipp Budeikin was arrested for claiming to have invented the game in 2013. Allegedly he wanted to cleanse society of unworthy individuals. He was held on remand in Kresty Prison . He initially claimed to be innocent, but made a confession in court, claiming to have incited suicide in 16 teenage girls. He was finally sentenced in 2017 for two incidents to three years and four months in prison.

In June 2017, Ilya Sidorov was arrested for alleging that 32 children in his group had been persuaded to follow his instructions.

Bangladesh

Reports of the game spread across Bangladesh. No official information has been given so far, but two cases went through the media: In October 2017, a girl hanged herself who is said to have played the game. A student in Chittagong was playing four levels of the game before the police picked him up on a tip from a fellow student. In Bangladesh, attempting suicide is a criminal offense and can be punished with up to one year in prison.

Germany

So far, one case has become known in Germany that was related to the game. In the summer of 2017, according to media reports, a 13-year-old girl in Radevormwald scratched a blue whale in her arms. The game was discovered on the child's cell phone. The phenomenon became known in Germany primarily through a report in the Bild newspaper and a YouTube video by YouTuber LeFloid , whose clip reached a million views within a very short time.

India

There are said to have been several cases of Blue Whale in India, but no case has been officially confirmed. In fact, the suicide rate among children and adolescents in India is quite high, so the challenge fell on fertile ground. The responsible Ministry for Information Technology banned all major providers, including Google , Yahoo and Facebook , from providing links to the game.

Italy

There are believed to be between 40 and 70 cases in Italy that are linked to the Blue Whale Challenge, according to police. The police warned of the game on their website.

Reactions

In Russia, where the phenomenon is most widespread, the Duma passed a law criminalizing the establishment of a suicide forum or group. President Putin signed the law on June 7, 2017. The law provides for a sentence of up to six years in prison.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Falmouth parents warned about suicide challenge allegedly circulating. In: .falmouthpacket.co.uk. Retrieved July 16, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Philipp Rall: Various schools warn: The Blue Whale Challenge is back. In: Futurezone.de . Retrieved July 16, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Galina Mursaliyeva: Группы смерти (18+). In: Novayagazeta.ru. Новая газета, accessed December 20, 2017 .
  4. ^ A b Why the Russian Suicide Game Went Global. In: Bloomberg.com. April 25, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Blue Whale Challenge: What is it? Easily explained. In: Chip.de. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  6. ↑ a b Christian Schwerdtfeger: 'Blue Whale': Girl in Radevormwald cuts her arm in a suicide 'game'. In: RP Online. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  7. ↑ Teen 'Suicide Games' Send Shudders Through Russian-Speaking World. In: Rferl.org. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  8. ↑ a b Aparna Alluri: Why is 'Blue Whale' hysteria gripping India? In: BBC News. September 19, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  9. ↑ The Truth About 'Blue Whale,' an Online Game That Tells Teens to Self Harm. In: Motherboard.vice.com. May 22, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Пять главных вопросов к материалу «Новой газеты» о подростковых суицидах. In: Meduza.io. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  11. ↑ Jogo em rede social russa leva adolescentes a cometer suicídio. In: Último Segundo. April 7, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Teenagers are taking their own lives 'because of social media game blue whale'. In: Metro.co.uk. February 28, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Blue whale challenge administrator pleads guilty to inciting suicide. In: BBC Newsbeat. November 5, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 (UK English).
  14. ^ Founder of Online 'Blue Whale' Suicide Group Sentenced. In: themoscowtimes.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  15. ↑ Marc Bennetts Moscow: Russian postman lured teenagers into his Blue Whale internet suicide game . In: The Times . June 12, 2017, ISSN  0140-0460 ( thetimes.co.uk [accessed December 20, 2017]).
  16. ↑ Teenager girl in Bangladesh hanged herself in Blue Whale suicide bid. (No longer available online.) In: ntvbd.com. October 11, 2017, archived from the original on October 11, 2017 ; accessed on December 20, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / en.ntvbd.com
  17. ^ CU student detained for playing the Blue Whale Challenge. In: Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2017 (American English).
  18. ↑ WhatsApp game "Blue Whale Challenge": Police warn against scare tactics. In: tz.de. June 30, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  19. ^ Parents fear a suicide game is gripping India. In: The Independent. September 19, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  20. ↑ Polizia Postale: BLUE WHALE - CONSIGLI. Accessed December 20, 2017 .
  21. ↑ La blue whale arriva nel Napoletano: la Procura di Torre Annunziata apre un'inchiesta. In: Il Mattino. May 26, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Russian lawmakers vote to ban pro-suicide social media groups. In: The Calvert Journal. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .
  23. ↑ Putin signs law imposing criminal penalties for inducing minors to suicide. In: TASS. Retrieved December 20, 2017 .