When a viral challenge is reported in the news or on social media, it’s often easier to consider the risks than establish the facts. Making the decision to issue guidance or warnings about challenges and hoaxes is often informed by the principle of ‘better safe than sorry’.

While safeguarding responses to online harms are vital, the wrong response can have the opposite effect and might increase the overall risk by making the challenge more widely known.

Please click here to view a short video discussing such viral challenges.