Stuttgart (dpa / tmn) – “You can break off contact at any time without any consequences for yourself or other people.” This is the most important educational principle that parents use to send their children to horror chain letters or dangerous competitions in social networks and on messengers -Chats should prepare, advises the police crime prevention of the states and the federal government.
Children and young people need to understand that there are people online who not only insult and harass others, but also consciously want to scare them. Sending chain letters may even be punishable if their content goes beyond harmless jokes.
Chain letters can be punishable by law
According to the police, anyone who writes or forwards a horror chain letter is liable to prosecution if the content contains a threat of violence (Section 241 of the Criminal Code) or instructions on violence (Section 111 (1) of the Criminal Code). So it’s best to delete something like this right away and never share, disseminate or reply to it – even if the curiosity is great.
Horror chain letters often outline dramatic consequences if the chain letter is not forwarded. Sometimes the death of loved ones or the appearance of a monster is threatened.
For example, the so-called scary goofy challenge is currently circulating, in which children and young people are written to with a goofy photo. Whoever reacts is asked: “Do you want to play with me?”. If this is answered in the affirmative, a “task” is set that could instill immense fear in children, the police warned.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210219-99-511490 / 2
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