Children and teenagers perceive this practice as a game to be played among friends, and sometimes, alone. The practice consists on stopping the flow of oxygen to the brain, leading to fainting, and sometimes, a total loss of consciousness. The goal of the game is to achieve a stage of euphoria before passing out. These games vary in its ways to be executed, often proposed as a challenge through videos on the internet and among friends in a group. Children and teenagers perceive these games as safe, not knowing the risks involved due to a lack of public information and awareness about the severe consequences, specially if practiced alone.

Children and teens between the ages of 4 to 20 years old. The practice makes no distinction of race, faith beliefs or nationality.

Teenagers who practice the choking game are not engaged on suicidal attempts, and almost never, match the profile of a suicidal person. Seeking this type of game agrees with the natural flow of adolescence: a need for experimentation, to challenge oneself, to belong to a group. All in the search for a subjective award.

The practice is disseminated as harmless. It triggers teens’ curiosity through the selling of a thrill. The main location for its practice is the school, where groups can easily gather. The experimentation happens massively through peer pressure. Again, teens are not aware of the serious risks and irreversible consequences of the practice. Some children and teenagers who seek to practice the choking game alone are at the higher risk of finding death.

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Main reasons are:

– Becoming part of a group

– Accepting challenges made by peer pressure

– Curiosity and thrill seeking personality allied to internet lessons on how to play, how to avoid parent’s monitoring of online activities and searches

– A lack of knowledge about the risks and the mistaken idea that it is a game

Physical signs :

• Bloodshot eyes

• Frequent unusual headaches

• Marks on the neck

• Frequent headaches , migraine

• Disorientation after spending time alone

Behavior:

• Changes in personality such as becoming overly aggressive or agitated

• Any questions about effects, sensations or dangers of strangulation

• Unexplained injuries

In Your Home:
• Locked doors

• Knots tied in the room

• Wear marks on bedposts, closet rods, etc.

• Any kind of strap, rope or belt lying by your child without reason/explanation

• “Thud” sounds, such as from falling from playing the game alone

• Internet use history (website, chat rooms, blogs, etc.)

Breathing

It is taught in schools that need oxygen to live. However, the scope of the topic does not question the importance of not interrupting the flow of oxygen and what it really means fainting. According to the physiology of the human body, fainting is characterized as a body’s natural defense and a sudden loss of consciousness when there is insufficient oxygenation of the brain. This means that blood flow is not reaching the brain so that the flush enough. Without oxygen, there is loss of consciousness and cognitive abilities.  

Effects of Cerebral Anoxia
Dr. Arthur Frazão (Medical)

Cerebral anoxia is characterized by lack of oxygen to the brain, which may have various causes, such as bleeding or respiratory arrest, for example. Depending on the time when the brain is not receiving oxygen, neurons are dying and can be irreversible brain damage, brain death and can cause the person be in a coma. The longer the brain stay without receiving oxygen, the worse the consequences. The severity of the injury will be linked also to the region ran out of oxygen in the brain. As the central nervous system is difficult to regenerate, lesions may be permanent. (Source: http://www.tuasaude.com/anoxia-cerebral/)