Dear Parent/Carer,
RE:Whatsapp group encouraging self-harm in young people
We have been alerted by Northumbria Police to a worrying WhatsApp group / trend called “everyone you know x”. The content and language are not age appropriate and encourages young people to self-harm on a points-based syatem, with reference to suicide.
The group orginated in North Tyneside but now appears to be growing and circulating in wider areas of the North East. It is currently aimed at Year 6 students but is likley to start affecting other year groups. There are already 500+ members in the group, many of whom have been added to the group without their consent, by a third party because their social media settings are not secure enough. To date 3 young people have been hospitalised as a result of actions within this group.
We urge you to check your children’s phones to ensure that they are not subject to this group and ask you to make sure their privacy settings are secure. We regularly remind our pupils of this in school and will be sending out another reminder.
The NSPCC website has information about helping children who may have been affected by such content including; promoting self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders.
If you require any further information or support regarding keeping your child safe on line please speak to a member of staff or access the following website:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/
