Prevention of the Choking Game: parent perspectives. J Inj Violence Res 2012 Jul;4(2):73-8
Date
04/20/2011Pubmed ID
21502782Pubmed Central ID
PMC3426904DOI
10.5249/jivr.v4i2.119Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84872034135 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many preadolescents and adolescents have been reported to take part in forced asphyxiation as a means of creating a feeling of being high without taking drugs. This activity goes by different names, including the Choking Game, Blackout, and Space Monkey. The limited epidemiological data suggest that about 6-11% of adolescents report having engaged in this behavior.
METHODS: This study surveyed a predominantly Caucasian cohort of parents regarding their knowledge of the choking game and its associated risks, as well as their attitudes toward possible prevention efforts.
RESULTS: Three quarters of parents responding reported being familiar with the choking game but considerably fewer (20%) reported having talked to their children about this activity. Ninety-six percent of parents reported knowing that unintentional death was a potential risk and ninety percent believe information about this activity should be included in school health curricula.
CONCLUSIONS: Parents of adolescents in the United States appear to be quite knowledgeable about the Choking Game and its potential risks and are overwhelmingly supportive of prevention measures. The parents surveyed understood the importance of preventing children from engaging in the Choking Game, but may need specific help in how to talk to their children about it. Further work is needed to confirm that the proportion of parents identified as aware of this risk taking behavior is consistent across other populations and to urgently identify effective prevention efforts that can be integrated into existing health curricula.
Author List
Bernacki JM, Davies WHAuthor
W. Hobart Davies Professor & Chair in the Phychology department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAdolescent Behavior
Adult
Asphyxia
Awareness
Child
Communication
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Parent-Child Relations
Parents
Risk-Taking
Self-Injurious Behavior
Wisconsin
Young Adult
