Sunday, October 7, 2007

Choking Game - Accident or Sign of Something Else?

While watching television over the summer (2007), I viewed a program called 'The Choking Game' that made me check around some more until I gathered some information that partially confirmed more about the information from the documentary show.

I wondered whether the game 'played' by children could be a kind of addiction-forming activity and I did find some reports that said YES.

I wrote an article about this scary childhood activity over at Hub Pages:

The Very Scary Choking Game on HubPages
(opens in new window)

In the article I provided the name of the program and TV network that aired the documentary that piqued my interest in this topic. I also mentioned additional sites where some studies show that the 'euphoric' feeling that children may experience when they play the Choking Game can become addictive. You'll also find a 'support' site mentioned in the article, dedicated to spreading the word about this deadly game.

The 'game' is also called the 'passout' game and is known by a variety of names. Children actually design methods to make themselves pass out and lose consciousness, however MANY CHILDREN ARE DYING from playing this game.

It's not new...just 'covert.' People don't talk about it.

Just like people don't talk about OTHER things that they SHOULD talk about...

I hope you will visit the link and read the article as I've decided to take a little time off from the topic. It's quite an upsetting topic to research because kids who have died from playing this game often receive the cause of death label of 'suicide.'

While searching around, I had to go through a lot of articles and sites dealing with childhood suicide as well as abuse issues. Child abuse issues are more closely linked to childhood suicides, however, 'choking game deaths' are often not related to child abuse at all. The problem was - to get to the right topics, I had to wade through a great deal of the non-related stuff, anyway, so I've decided that now is a good time to take a break with this topic and try to process all the information I went through.

The Very Scary Choking Game on HubPages
(opens in new window)

I'll let you visit the hubpage and read. I think this information is very important to display in many locations - I'm just not up to writing a fresh article with prime details about 'The Choking Game' at this time.

I think the issue has been glossed over - in part, because the deaths are so senseless, and also, because the causes of death are often not uncovered until quite some time has passed. Typically, a family who has lost a child due to this game will suffer for many months, thinking that the child was suicidal and they are to blame because they missed all the signs...usually another child will come forward - one who played 'the game' with the deceased before - and admit that the friend was engaged in playing 'the game' for a while.

The issues surrounding this problem are very complex, but are typically hard to even determine because the game is almost always 'a secret,' within childhood circles. It is kept away from adults. Kids KNOW there is something wrong about 'the game' but they aren't quite old enough or mature enough to know what this great 'wrong' is. They also know that it's wrong to keep 'secrets' but the game doesn't work if everyone - especially adults - knows about it.

To Find Out More:

The Very Scary Choking Game on HubPages
(opens in new window)

There are 'signs' that children will display when they have been engaged in playing 'the game' for a while. My other article gives a few tips about what 'terms' to watch for in your child's vocabulary - to make sure that your child isn't involved with The Choking Game.

Please don't forget to rate the hubpages article - it's easy - just look for the thumbsup or thumbdown button

3 comments:

SarahPacatte said...

First, thank you very much for writing about this killer of children.

Samuel and I did the interview with the CBC ...'Fifth Estate'. It was not done five years ago; It was done in 2005, right after I lost Samuel's twin, Gabriel.

I am so thankful you see the urgency to warn and inform of this wicked 'game'......
Sarah Pacatte, Gabriel Mordecai's mom
http://StillLovingMyGabriel.com

http://GASPinfo.com

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