Dangerous playground challenges seem to be the norm these days, but this one involves a very ordinary school product - the eraser.
The “eraser challenge” involves students rubbing an eraser off their skin while saying something or completing a task. Although this is not a new phenomenon, it seems to have been revived lately.
A school in North Carolina has recently issued a warning about the eraser challenge, along with a scary-looking photo of an eraser burn.
Staff at East Iredell Middle School have warned parents to be vigilant about any burn marks sighted on their kids.
"The latest internet challenge is the 'Eraser Challenge'," the post reads, along with an accompanying photo of a wound sustained from the craze.
"Kids are rubbing an eraser across their skin while having to do or say something. It's causing serious burns, and we've seen several cases of this at EIMS."
The challenge is also known as the “ABC” game, as in one version of the game, students recite the alphabet while rubbing their skin. They then compare their wounds when they reach the letter 'z'.
Some kids have even posted photos of their eraser burns on social media.
A sixth grade teacher, Cara Miller, shared a photo of one of her student’s eraser burns, saying the boy had told her he “would never try anything like that again.”
The boy told Cara that the wound still hurt days later.
Warren Hills Middle School, in New Jersey, has also shared a warning on its website, saying staff have seen several cases of eraser burns on students.
"They have admitted that the wounds are from eraser burns, and they only did it on a dare or to prove they were tough, or because they thought of it as a joke," the warning continues.
The school reminded students that erasers are “far from clean” and could be carrying harmful bacteria on them from being passed around or falling on the floor.
"Once the wound begins to heal, they still have an opening (although scabbed) where other bacteria can enter the body and infect them," the warning read.
Students who participate in the eraser challenge could be at risk from serious infections such as tetanus, staphylococcus and streptococcus infections.
They are also at risk of contracting diseases transmitted by blood and bodily fluids, such as HIV and hepatitis.
In 2015, a 13-year-old American student became seriously ill and was hospitalised after his eraser burn became infected and he contracted Strep A Toxic Shock.
