What is the Blue Whale Challenge?
The «Blue Whale» challenge, currently making headlines in France, is a new potential danger on social media. It is therefore important to understand its meaning, how it works and its consequences in order to intervene, if necessary, with adolescents who participate in it or are preparing to do so.
Where does it come from?
This phenomenon reportedly emerged in Russia on the social network vKontakte a year ago and was recently publicised in France in February following a series of morbid incidents reported on vKontakte, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Presented as a «challenge», this phenomenon is known as the «blue whale challenge» in reference to the fact that these mammals choose the moment of their death. The challenge in question involves training participants in 50 steps to abuse themselves, self-harm, and ultimately kill themselves.
What is it about?
This challenge is very different from other more traditional challenges that have appeared and then disappeared on the Internet, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, Neknomination, A l'eau ou au resto, Ice and salt, etc. The BWC conveys a powerful fantasy (Russia, a lesser-known social network, VKontakte, melancholic images: whales, the sea, etc.), the violence it conveys is absolute (gradual challenges, from imposed fatigue to suicide via self-harm), and the active/passive and «daredevil» nature of the challenges could be particularly appealing to psychologically fragile teenagers who are depressed or seeking thrills.
How does it work?
A volunteer, usually a teenager, goes to one of the social media platforms and expresses their desire to participate. They search for a mentor by posting hashtags linked to the imaginary world created around this phenomenon. Other users who use the same hashtags contact them in return and encourage them to carry out their orders, the 50 gradual «challenges» of this challenge, using mental manipulation and possibly threats if necessary. It remains to be clarified to what extent this active/passive relationship is significant, and who are the various perpetrators of this progressive influence that incites young people to commit all kinds of illegal acts.
Manipulation and predation
The National Police issued an alert in early March in France and shared it on Twitter and Facebook. Net Ecoute issue number 3018. The Ministry of Education followed suit by alerting local education authorities. Investigations are underway. The Blue Whale Challenge is a very dangerous manipulative challenge, and the «blue whale» phenomenon could be used for other criminal acts... Minors seeking thrills or adult criminals could manipulate vulnerable children to the point of harming them and lure them into other forms of abuse: sexual predation, grooming, etc.
In all cases, the sponsor, guardian or mentor risks conviction for incitement to suicide, an offence punishable by 3 to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of €45,000 to €75,000 if the victim is a minor under the age of 15. Parents, do not hesitate to discuss this subject with your teenagers. Teenagers who participate in this challenge may use various hashtags on social media, such as ##baleinebleue, ##baleinedemer or ##420, or wake up at night to listen to sad music, self-harm, etc.
For everyone, call 3018 to discuss it.
