West Shore schools are trying to figure out what to do about the so-called "Momo Challenge," a disturbing online trend encouraging children to harm themselves.
The challenge has reportedly been cropping up in what appear to be child-friendly YouTube videos, according to police who have issued warnings in Canada, the U.K. and U.S.
In them, messages urge kids to contact "Momo," a grotesque-looking doll with large eyes and long black hair, through apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp.
According to police, kids who message the account are then sent disturbing images and directions to harm themselves, and receive threats if the demands are not met.
The challenge has been reportedly making the rounds online for months.
Now, the superintendent of the Sooke School District says he has been fielding calls from parents concerned about the challenge.
"We heard about it first last night from an email to a parent to me, and school administrators today began sending emails that they're hearing about it through students as well," said Scott Stinson. "We're still trying to understand what it is fully. It's not something that is a school-initiated thing, but obviously the impact of these external videos have an impact on the educational environment."
Stinson said the district is working with the Ministry of Education to determine how to appropriately address the issue with students and parents.
"Our message is around how to be an informed consumer of content, and how to be able to determine if something is inappropriate and how to go about reporting that," Stinson said.
YouTube has come under fire for failing to prevent videos containing the Momo Challenge from showing up on its popular kids platform, which it describes as a "safer and simpler" experience.
A spokesperson said the company is working to ensure videos on YouTube Kids are "family-friendly and take feedback very seriously."
The Public Health Agency of Canada encourages anyone thinking about committing suicide to contact the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at 1-833-456-4566 or Kids Help Phone at 1-800-868-6868.
