What Parents Need to Know About Choking Play
Some people call it “the good kids high.” Children and adolescents play the choking game — an activity in which they choke themselves or their friends to instantly become euphoric — in the belief that it’s cheaper, faster, easier, and more legal than buying booze or weed. The game, which has many different names, is not new, but in an age of silly teenage problems on social media, hospitals are warning parents again.
The most important thing to know is that the shutdown of oxygen to the brain, which occurs when you gasp for breath, can be deadly. An organization called GASP (Game Teens Shouldn’t Play) has a heartbreaking album of children who gave their lives over this activity. Eleven-year-old Cody from Louisville, Kentucky. Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Marie from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Nine-year-Isaiah of MakKordsvillya, Indiana. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 82 children aged 6-19 years died of suffocation in the United States between 1995 and 2007.
Of course, the numbers are far from all. Death by strangulation is often misclassified as suicide, and syncope-related activities are not currently tracked in the public health database. And when children suffer from strangulation or self-induced hypocapnia injuries, which can include seizures, cognitive deficits, concussions, bone fractures, tongue biting, and eye haemorrhage, they are unlikely to admit they were playing a game. In Time ‘s recent account of the choking game, defenders say “the problem could get worse.”
Of such warnings is easy to give up – I know you are still shaking your head, not believing his eyes on the occasion of The Tide Pods and Juuling, – but it is important to know. Here’s what parents need to know:
What kind of game is it”?
First, there are many different names for the game of strangulation. Here is a partial list:
- Blackout
- Knock out
- Pass out challenge
- Weak challenge
- Space monkey
- California high
- Shake out
- Funny chicken
- Speed dreaming
- Choke Roulette
- Flatliner
- Dizziness
The exact rules vary. Some children compete to see who can remain in the choke hold and resist the disconnection the longest. Others hold their breath and are punched in the chest by a friend. Some squat and try to breathe very quickly to induce hyperventilation, and then either hug them tightly or press their chest against the wall. Children play in groups or singly. Alone, they can strangle themselves with ropes, cords or scarves. All of this is currently being filmed and posted on social media.
What does it look like?
As one teenage girl explains in an instructional video that I won’t link to here: “All of a sudden, your fingertips will feel a tingling sensation … and you will feel a tingling sensation all over. And suddenly you have no control. You’re going to want to tape it because you won’t remember what you did if it works. “
According to Erik’s Cause , an organization that promotes awareness of fainting play, two different feelings usually arise. The first is dizziness from lack of blood and oxygen. The second is dizziness from a rush of blood to the brain. This is the same mechanism as the taboo intercourse of autoerotic asphyxia , but performed with a different purpose. The game is always dangerous, but it is especially dangerous to do it alone. “Due to the lack of oxygen, you do not even know that you have fainted or, worse, you are dying,” the people at Erik’s Cause say in the video .
How quickly does brain damage occur?
It depends on the individual – usually the brain can be without oxygen for three to six minutes before long-term and irreversible damage occurs. Coma is almost inevitable after 10 minutes. After 15 minutes, the person is unlikely to recover any cognitive function.
Why do teenagers do this?
This is partly due to the way their brains work. In adolescents, the frontal lobe (where decision-making takes place) is not fully connected. In fact, it takes them a relatively long time to consider the consequences of certain behaviors, but often end up deciding that the benefits outweigh the risks . So this is the reason, along with curiosity, peer pressure, and sometimes a sincere belief that it is safe.
What can parents do?
Be aware of warning signs that your child may be choking, including bloodshot eyes, complaints of headaches, marks on the neck, unusual privacy requirements, or unexplained items such as elastic cords or leashes. However, there are often no signs. Eric Robinson, the 12-year-old boy whose death in 2010 inspired the Eric Case, died after playing the game for the first time. He tried it because he wanted to clear up his homework.
Talk to the children about the dangers of playing without explaining how to play it. “Never point to the neck, because if you point to the neck, you are inadvertently showing them how to do it,” write Stephanie Small and Judy Rogg, who developed a school intervention program to train parents, teachers and students in choke play. They encourage parents to teach their children to say no if anyone ever asks them to play.
How can I say NO ?
Use humor. “No thanks, I need all the brain cells I have.”
Leave. Leave if asked.
State the reason. “No, this is stupid and it could kill you.”
Strength in numbers. Chat with kids who don’t.
Avoid the situation. If you know kids who do this, don’t go with them.
The good news about teens is that while they do really stupid things, there are ways to minimize the recklessness . They need reminders – there are many – to help them make better, safer decisions.