Türkiye's Ministry of Commerce has imposed a ban on products featuring the character "Huggy Wuggy" because of its negative effects on children. Likewise, authorities also imposed an administrative fine of TL 123,000 ($6,610) on the companies that supply the products to the market.
During the inspections, samples were collected of the toys to evaluate if they should be considered harmful to children. Subsequently, a ban was imposed on their placement in stores, keeping them away from the market and consumers.
Besides regulations, such as the mandatory destruction of the products, other measures have also been taken, including the publication of information regarding such products in the Unsafe Product Information System (GÜBIS), which can be accessed from the address www.guvensizurun.gov.tr.
The ministry carries out regular product safety inspections within the scope of protective activities for consumers in terms of health and safety. All products placed in the markets are regularly inspected as well as manufacturers and importers.
The ministry works with precision, both through preventive measures and inspections, in order to protect children, who are sensitive consumers, from the dangers triggered by such products, the ministry said in the statement. Many products featuring popular characters target children, including pencil holders, backpacks and bedding.
Purchasing products with the Certificate of Conformity label, paying attention to manufacturer/importer information on the packaging and labels, reading and meticulously following the warnings, and purchasing products suitable for the age of the child are extremely important to protect children from risks.
Who is Huggy Wuggy?
Huggy Wuggy is a video game character turned into a toy, according to Pan European Game Information (PEGI) content standards. The character was created in September 2021 and since March 2022, it was available as a game on Android and IOS markets. The main plot of the game is set in an abandoned toy factory where vengeful toys are waiting, while the player tries to survive.
The player tries not to get caught by these scary toys. Huggy Wuggy, a cute-looking blue plush, first appears to children as a static character standing on a giant pedestal. In the later stages of the game, Huggy Wuggy disappears from the pedestal and quickly transforms into a 9-meter (30-foot) killer monster. The character remains silent, however, and scares people with his sharp teeth while laughing. If he catches the player, the player dies.
Plush horror in school
The plush toy Huggy Wuggy character has been found to disrupt the psychology of preschool and primary school children, who often carry the toys to school.
The main feature of the game is that the Huggy Wuggy character tries to kill people, especially children, by squeezing or cutting their throats.
Noting that complaints have been received from parents and teachers about the increase in aggressive throat squeezing in classrooms this year, experts soon called for the toy to be banned from schools.
In this regard, Specialist Psychologist Ramazan Saygı Şimşek said: "Since the schools opened, there has been an increase in throat-squeezing behavior among children. We receive complaints from dozens of educators and parents every day. There have been applications to the Presidential Communication Center (CIMER) Application Inquiry in recent weeks."
This digital horror game is designed for those over the age of 12 but can be accessed easily on electronic gadgets. Emphasizing that this toy shouldn't be brought into homes and schools, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Aybüke Akdeniz said: "We have received a growing number of child patients who have developed psychotic disorders."
The psychologist noted she receives messages from schools and educators very frequently. "Parents tell us that, 'My kid’s throat has been squeezed. He is afraid.'"
She further mentioned a case where a 6-year-old son of a mother who herself was six months pregnant, said: "'Mom, you know, I'm going to choke my brother after he's born because Huggy Wuggy is doing that.' This terrified the mother.
"The real danger here is not the toy but that the child somehow knows the character and how to access the game," she added.
Child acts like character
Şimşek said: "When a child is afraid, he either runs away or pays homage to that fearful character. This means that he behaves as if he obeys the character. This is the main reason for the increase in throat-squeezing behaviors in schools. Adults should strictly supervise and not let children watch the videos, play with the toys or let them play with others' toys related to the game. We started a campaign on this issue over the summer. Families also filed a very serious complaint to CIMER because if the access of children to this game is not controlled, the cases might increase."
Bedwetting and Nightmares
Akdeniz pointed out that this toy has become even more popular due to the transition back to in-person education. "We've been seeing children with bedwetting problems very often. Children's behavioral problems toward each other have escalated, but the most we see is fear. 'Huggy Wuggy is real and I'm terrified of it, does he really exist?' the child asked me," he explained.
According to Akdeniz, the child has developed these fears because he heard them while talking to his friends. Teachers also complain mostly about the increase in aggression in schools. Alarmingly, the toy has also triggered peer bullying.
"Children of this age cannot distinguish monsters or intangibles from reality. This toy, on the other hand, evokes fear and aggression, especially with its sharp teeth and scary mouth. A citizen, the mother of three, said that they saw Huggy Wuggy's toy for the first time on the train this summer, and said: 'My daughters probably saw it on the internet, I asked what it is; it's like a monster. The mother who bought this toy is probably not normal either. We heard Europe has banned these toys. I hope it will be banned in Türkiye as well,'" she said.