Not a game: Seabrook fifth-graders disciplined for ‘Death Note.’ What parents should know.

SEABROOK — School and police officials are alerting parents and guardians to keep an eye on the cyber games their children play after a recent worrisome incident at Seabrook Middle School.

According to Seabrook Police Chief Brett Walker, on Thursday, Jan. 6, Seabrook Middle School administrators made police aware of a suspicious list of student names, which caused officials concern for the welfare of the students on it. Administrators immediately contacted school resource officer Keith Dietenhofer, who undertook an investigation, Walker said.

What Dietenhofer found was what some refer to as a “kill list” compiled by two fifth-graders who were playing an anime game available online. After speaking with the students, Dietenhofer determined there was no threat to any individual or to school safety, Walker said. The families involved were notified that day, and the two students were disciplined by the school, he added.

Seabrook Middle School Principal Erin Milbury emailed a letter to all SMS parents informing them of the incident, with an alert.

“Given the challenges we all face today with social media and online gaming,” Milbury wrote, “this is a great opportunity to remind parents of the importance of being aware of what your children are doing on their phones and other devices.”

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SAU 21 Superintendent Meredith Nadeau said she concurs completely with that cautionary message.

“We would encourage parents to explore the content of the cyber games their children play and to have a discussion with their children about the possible ramifications,” Nadeau said. “Students of that age may not understand the gravity of developing such a list, which they see in the context of a game, and the effect it can have on others.”

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According to Walker, both a police chief and the father of school-age kids, children’s computer activity needs to be monitored and browsers checked, especially in relation to cyber games they can find by surfing the web.

“Kids find these games on YouTube,” he said, “and you can fall down the YouTube wormhole and heaven knows what you’re going to find.”

‘Death Note’ game sparks panic in schools

Walker said the description of the game the students were playing sounds like “Death Note.” According to its storyline from its website, the game is about a high schooler who decides to eliminate evil in the world after discovering a supernatural notebook that can kill those whose names are written in it.

According to the website, the game was originally a comic book serial that began in 2003, adapted to a Japanese live-action film series and anime series in 2006, a musical and a live-action TV drama in 2015, an American film in 2017 and a German audio drama in 2018.

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But as a cyber game, it has run into trouble not only in Seabrook but in other schools across the country as far back as 2008.

Problems arose in 2015 in Pittsburgh when a Death Note-inspired list was discovered in the possession of a fifth-grader there, as well as in a middle school in Kentucky the same year. And according to Comicbook.com, Death Note sparked a panic in a middle school in Georgia in 2019, too.

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In all these cases and others, authorities found there was no danger to others, but there was cause for concern.

Walker said the Seabrook students involved were so young they probably didn’t understand the implications of their actions in regard to making such a list. That’s why parents need to take the time to explain these things to their kids.

Police urge parents to monitor what kids are doing online

Computer safety experts recommend parents keep the family computer in a public place, like the living room or kitchen, so they can monitor their children while they use it. But Walker acknowledged kids access the internet from cell phones and laptops and Chromebooks they use to do their school work.

Regularly checking browsers on this equipment will help parents learn the websites their children access, he added.

Walker said the police continue to work with the school to address this situation, and according to Milbury, a parents' night may be scheduled soon to offer help to families regarding online safety.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH fifth-graders disciplined for ‘Death Note’ based on anime game