The parents of two south Essex children believed to have died after taking part in dangerous “online challenges” have launched their new campaign with a hard-hitting video.
Lisa Kenevan, mother of Isaac Kenevan from Basildon, and Hollie Dance, mother of Archie Battersbee, from Southend, have launched a new campaign with a video made by charity Internet Matters, meant to show parents and teachers the dangers of online challenges.
The video shows Lisa and Hollie talking about their children’s lives, interests and aspirations before cutting to the details that lead to both boys’ deaths.
Both parents believe it was a result of content the boys were looking at online.
Hollie has spoken of her joy at getting the campaign off the ground and is trying to ensure it is spread as virally as possible.
She said: “I am so happy the video is out there. Our next step is pushing this into schools.
“There is a really sinister side to the internet, we think we know what our children are seeing often and we really don’t, we cannot watch them 24/7, they do have privacy.
“We want to open a conversation between parent and child, I feel since lockdown there has been a rift between parents and children, and they are becoming quite isolated.
“This video Is aimed at parents and teachers to give them the chance to have that conversation, we are leaving it with them as it is their choice to show it to their children.”
Archie Battersbee died aged 12 in 2022 after a “prank or experiment” which went wrong at their home in Southend.
Lisa’s son Isaac, 13, died after it was believed he took part in a blackout challenge on social media.
Lisa added: “We have been working on this with Internet Matters for quite a while and it has all come to a head now, we are very eager to get this out into the schools for around the middle of July.
“It was hard to make this video, we are talking about our children who are no longer here, we want to do them justice and we want their legacy to carry on.”
You can watch the new campaign video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLt9NKbBpOw
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