Wickersley School and Sports College in Rotherham has alerted parents about the concerning social media trend. In a statement, the school administration said, 'We have been made aware of a social media trend that has been shared across the country. There is a trend called 'School Wars' where the perceived aim is to attack pupils from other schools.
' According to Yorkshire Live, 'School Wars' is a social media craze that allegedly pits pupils from different schools against one another, with points earned for attacking students from other schools. The school specifically warned that it has been named as a potential target in this trend. ' Yorkshire Live reports that Wickersley School and Sports College has been named as a target for other school pupils in Rotherham.
We have been made aware of a social media trend that has been shared across the country. There is a trend called 'School Wars' where the perceived aim is to attack pupils from other schools. The social media post talks about it happening on the way to school or on the way home, identified by a child's uniform and points are awarded for attacking pupils from other schools with items such as scissors, compasses and rulers, as well as points awarded for physical assaults such as punches and slaps.
The school has taken precautionary measures in response to the warning. According to Yorkshire Live, the school will discuss this with pupils, reminding them to remain in groups or pairs when walking home and go into safe spaces if threatened. ' However, school officials emphasized that the threat remains uncertain.
The school administration noted, 'At present, this is a social media rumour. We are unsure of the likelihood of this happening. ' The 'School Wars' phenomenon appears to extend beyond Rotherham.
While we do not wish to alarm you about this, we have been informed that this is being set up in Rotherham, with Wickersley being one of the schools named as a target for other school pupils. We will be discussing this with our pupils today, reminding them of the need to remain in groups or pairs when walking home and going into safe spaces such as shops if they feel worried or threatened at any point.
According to Yorkshire Live, the social media craze has been shared on social media in London. Yorkshire Live also reports that there has been concern regarding viral 'red vs blue school wars' online posts. In some areas, schools have taken more drastic measures.
Yorkshire Live states that schools across London closed early to avoid confrontation between students. Additionally, Yorkshire Live reports that BBC News reported students at secondary schools in Essex had been told not to wear their blazers while travelling home so as not to identify which school they attend. It remains unclear whether any actual attacks have occurred as part of the 'School Wars' craze.
The extent of police involvement or investigations into the 'School Wars' craze is also unknown. Yorkshire Live has contacted South Yorkshire Police for more information, but no response has been detailed in the available claims. The school's warning represents a proactive approach to student safety amid growing concerns about social media trends influencing youth behavior.