If you graduated from a North Shore high school, you’ve likely heard of the game “Gotcha!”
During the game for grade 12 students, players are given a target they must tag, and avoid being tagged themselves. Once someone makes their “hit”, they then move on to that person’s designated target. The last person standing wins the game and usually a pretty healthy amount of money.
In most instances of the game, the rules are quite simple. Sometimes students can link arms with other students or wear embarrassing clothing like swim goggles and water wings to stay safe. Rules usually mandate that students can’t be tagged during school hours or at work.
“It is a lot of fun. I’d recommend playing it, but I’d recommend the people that are planning it to keep the rules safe,” said one North Vancouver student.
But in at least one North Vancouver high school, organizers have taken the game up a notch — and the school district isn’t pleased.
In a letter to parents, the North Vancouver School District called the new rules “alarming, inappropriate and illegal.”
The rules state that once a student is tagged, they can stay in the game by stripping nude within 30 seconds.
“While the act itself of undressing in public is unacceptable, it is particularly alarming that students are capturing photos on their smart phones and, sometimes, sharing the photos on social media,” the letter states.
“Once photos are captured digitally and shared in the online realm it is virtually impossible to retract them.”
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It says, in addition, students that possess such photos are actually in possession of child pornography and could be charged.
The life-altering ramifications of having nude photos posted online is a truth Carol Todd knows too well.
Todd’s daughter, Amanda Todd, took her own life in 2012 after she was blackmailed and harassed online with nude photos.
“It’s that impulsive brain of a young person, and we think we know better, but sometimes peer pressure can change it,” Todd said.
Social media educator Jesse Miller says today’s social platforms like Snapchat and Instagram could cause those impulsive decisions to go viral amongst peer groups.
Despite the warnings, Gotcha! games will continue to go on across the North Shore as they have for decades.
— With files from Aaron McArthur
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