BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha police on Wednesday issued comprehensive guidelines on dealing with online game of dares called Blue Whale Challenge, which is said to have led several teenagers to attempting suicide across the country.
The advisory came after the Commissionerate of Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack tracked down and counseled an engineering student in Cuttack after he had progressed to the 10th stage of the game.
Odisha director-general of police R P Sharma asked his staff to disseminate guidelines to parents, teachers and peer groups on detecting youngsters in the grip of the deadly game.
The advisory tells parents to observe any changes in the eating or sleeping habits of their children, a sudden drop in social interaction, too much time spent on the phone or talk about running away from home.
Other signs parents have been advised to look for are: locking rooms, sudden outbursts of anger, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy earlier, cut marks on their arms and thighs, sudden interest in watching horror movies, weird updates on their social media accounts and justifying acts of suicide by other.
The advisory urges parents to immediately report if they observe any such signs in their children. It cautions them not to confront or grill the children if they are detected to be engaged with Blue Whale Challenge. Candid discussions should be encouraged.
Parents have been advised consult a psychiatrist rather than a physician if they observe any cut marks on the arms or thighs of their children.
The advisory asks parents to interact more with children and counsel them not to share any information with anyone on the internet.
Similarly, teachers have been instructed to keep an eye on falling grades and declining social behavior in the pupils. They are asked to inform the school authorities upon observing anything suspicious or alarming.
Police chief Sharma also directed the inspector-in-charge (IIC) and officer-in-charge (OIC) of police stations to hold meetings with school and college authorities and apprise them about the game. Principals have been told to convene parents and teachers meetings to spread awareness.
“Police personnel have been instructed to respond to incidents related to the Blue Whale game quickly and take immediate steps to identify website links and mobile and web-based applications containing the game. They have also been instructed to conduct frequent checks at internet cafes and scrutinize web search history to ascertain whether games like A Quiet House, A Silent House, A Sea of Whales and Wake Me Up At 4.30 am have been searched by customers.