In St. Petersburg, there is an unprecedented process: an investigation into the case of Philip Fox, the founder and administrator of so-called "death groups" in social networks. Children who subscribe to these groups receive tasks that end equally scary. Suicide. Philippe Lis is now in custody, in the prison "Crosses". And, worst of all, hundreds of letters from fans of the terrible game organized by him every day come to him. Letters with words of support. Do you understand? He is an idol for teenagers. Deadly idol.
A game that kills
They put pictures of whales or bodies on their avatars,bleeding. They post pictures of self-torture or humiliation. They communicate with hashtags that are strange to the uninitiated eye: #quiethome #nyapoka #morekits #iwantvigru. They hang out on social networks for hours. They write poems on their pages. For example, these: “I want to drown in #morekits then get to #quiethomeI want to go home to the stars in the #milkyway like this #iwantvigrufind megive me instructionsgive me your numberI’m waiting for you#inagame.” And then they just go out… the window. Or jump off a bridge. Or cut their veins. Russia has been overwhelmed by a wave of teenage suicides amid deadly “games” on the Internet. One of the administrators of the death groups, Philipp Lis, is already in custody. The article is incitement to suicide. Investigators are working with the others. But all this struggle of children, on the contrary, inspires them to take terrible steps: since the beginning of the year, specialists have registered a new surge of interest in the deadly game.
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Who is responsible
— In just one day, about4 thousand tags, typical for groups with suicide themes, - representatives of the public organization ROCIT are sounding the alarm. - Such groups are regularly blocked, but new ones appear. Who needs this and why is still unclear. Experts from the organization ROCIT are sure of one thing: adults work with children - systematically, methodically and clearly, step by step pushing them to the last line. They work with knowledge of their passions and hobbies, using their favorite vocabulary and culture. They work with knowledge of psychology and suggestion techniques. - It is extremely difficult to catch them in such work, - says forensic psychologist Mikhail Vinogradov. - Often, group administrators even accompany children to the place of suicide. For example, to the roof. They say that they will step together with their victims. But, of course, they are only pretending. And then, when they are caught, they say that they really wanted to jump down. But at the last moment they got scared and changed their minds. As a result, it is practically impossible to prove the involvement of administrators in the deaths of children. And they remain unpunished.
A photo: GettyImagesWith the influence of the organizers of suicidal groups, not only and not so many children from complex families are exposed. I want to draw your attention to the fact that children from good, outwardly well-off families are taking their lives, "adds Svetlana Agapitova, the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights in St. Petersburg. "Therefore, dear parents, be on the alert and more often find out what your children are interested in. Psychologist Darya Grosheva explains: the children were literally" caught "in features peculiar to the transition age. At this time, the adolescent is becoming, the definition of his identity, interests. And on the desire to be interesting and necessary, which is acute in children.
— Problems will arise if there is no trust.And there is only one way out: to be more interesting than the Internet, more interesting than the computer. The child now desperately needs the attention of adults, even if he does not show it. And adults often make the mistake of thinking that it is already possible to retreat a little into the background.
9 signs of anxiety ...
— A usually active child is suddenly depressed,taciturn, does not sleep at night. - Started drawing whales or butterflies, spends a lot of time on the Internet, does not participate in the social life of the school. - Goes into complete isolation, does not make contact. - Academic performance decreases. - Bad habits appear. - He hides his circle of friends from you, it is not clear with whom he communicates. - On the Internet, he visits strange, incomprehensible sites, including for adults. - On his page on a social network, there are strange photographs, pictures, texts that incline to suicide, impose pain, cruelty, fanaticism, justify dangerous behavior. - He joins groups on social networks with a "deadly" theme.
Photo: GettyImages
... and 5 ways to protect
Many moms and dads believe:installed a content filter on the computer - and that's the end of it. But this is a misconception. - Content filtering is not always effective, in particular, due to the fact that not all sites are blocked, and social networks, online games, correspondence and other activities of the child remain on the sidelines! - they say at the Center for the Protection of Children from Internet Threats. Therefore, you should not limit yourself to filters alone. It is in your interests to: - Achieve complete trust and dialogue on Internet safety issues. - Explain that the Internet is not a reliable source of information, and you should trust your parents, teachers and best friends. - Discuss the rules for working with a computer and gadgets, set time limits, determine the resources that can and should be visited. Explain that the Internet is primarily a means of development and education and only secondarily - entertainment and communication. It is advisable to agree that new games and programs will be installed together with parents. - Introduce restrictions on the use of smartphones and tablets. Preschoolers and primary school students do not need mobile Internet in their everyday lives. - Ban communication with strangers online. This measure should be perceived in the same way as banning communication with strangers on the street.
Personal experience
Reading the news about teenage suicides,The first desire is to cut off the child's access to the Internet completely. This, of course, is not a solution. In our age of ubiquitous Wi-Fi. Trying to protect the child, parents often play it safe. For example, a rumor has appeared that anime lovers often commit suicide - they forbid watching anime. The child shows interest in Japanese culture - they panic. I would like to say about this: do not go too far. Do not rush to forbid everything without understanding. As the popular joke goes, sometimes a banana is just a banana. And anime is just a cartoon. If a teenager is carried away by the animated series "Death Note", it will not kill him. - What nonsense. "Death Note" is about how cool it is to be smart. About the confrontation between two geniuses, good and evil. And not about suicides at all, - shrugged 17-year-old Alexandra, who has been a fan of Japanese cartoons and manga since she was ten (including "Death Note". She is still alive). And remember: your own inattention and fixation on work, external problems, his grades is more likely to kill a child. On anything, but not on himself. - A child who does not feel abandoned, with whom parents talk, who is not just listened to, but heard, will never have such thoughts, - psychologists say. Communicate more. Trust each other. Value your children, and let them know it.
