Comments were made by the gamer to inflict self-harm.
1. Calmly let the gamer know you are concerned because KIDAS notified you that they had said something about harming themselves during gaming.
2. Check In on Their Well-Being: Ask them if they’re ok, and find out whether it’s true that they’re thinking about hurting themselves.
3. It’s possible that the gamer said something about self-harm as a joke, or out of anger or frustration. This is not uncommon, as emotions can be intense during video game play.
4. Calmly assess the situation. Check in again after an hour–how are they feeling now?
5. Share some alternative phrases to use when they get angry in their game (or if they used self-harm language as a joke) For example “I’m so annoyed right now”, “This game is so frustrating”, “I can’t play this game I need a break..” Explain that talking about self-harm is upsetting to other kids.
6. If the gamer seems embraced by the question, or looks distressed their family can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). There is more information here.