Self-harm challenge ends in psychiatry ward
TIRUNELVELI: Bruises and burn marks on body, a half-finished drawing of a whale on the forearm, these usual tell-tale symptoms helped a couple identify the affliction their teenaged son had contracted: Blue Whale Challenge. The couple immediately sought professional help and admitted their son to a psychiatric centre in the district for counselling.
Sources said that the teenager, a second year student at a private polytechnic colleg, was brought to a private psychiatric centre a few days ago by his parents after they noticed him inflicting injuries on his body. After initial counselling, he was referred to another psychiatric centre, where he is currently under observation.
Sources further said that the victim was attempting to draw a whale-like figure on his hand when his parents saw him. Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police (SP) Arun Sakthikumar said, “We haven’t received any complaint regarding this case. However, we believe that the possibility of the person being a victim of the game is low.”
The officer said that the mark on his hand did not seem like a whale’s. However, he said that a clear picture would emerge only after investigation. Meanwhile, the police department has appealed to the parents to keep an eye on their children. The online game obliges the players to commit a series of dangerous tasks, which range from self-humiliation to suicide.