(WARNING: The video above contains an image some younger viewers may find disturbing.)

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — The Citrus County School District is warning parents about a disturbing social media trend. It’s called the “Momo Challenge,” and it could potentially lead children to harming themselves.

The image associated with the "Momo Challenge" and circulating across social media platforms features a disturbing image of a woman with bulging eyes and a sinister smile.

The sculpture was created by a Japanese artist, but the image is allegedly used by profiles with the name "Momo" that connect with children and tell them to perform various tasks, some even including self-harm. 

(The artist of the original sculpture is in no way associated with the "challenge" or the unlicensed use of the work's likelness.)

Lindsay Blair with the Citrus County School District said some of their younger students claimed to have seen pictures of "Momo" on the way to school. 

“Some of them were really upset getting off the bus this morning,” Blair said. 

Officials say children connect with "Momo" on social media platforms like Facebook, Kik, or WhatsApp after the image pops up on various kid's videos or games.

Dangerous, hoax or not

Some say it’s all a hoax. YouTube issued the following statement on their Twitter account regarding the "Momo Challenge":

 

 

But Blair said whether it’s real or not, it’s an important reminder to parents to watch what their kids do online.  

“All of our principals did something different within their schools," Blair explained. "Either they talked about it during morning announcements or they brought all the students together to talk about just cyber safety." 

“Parents just need to be cognizant of what their kids are doing and they need to monitor it,” she added. 

Parent Megan Furniss said she was concerned when she first heard about this challenge. But she said she’s adamant about teaching her kids about how to stay safe online. 

“With my daughter I make sure we go over everything on there," Furniss explained. "She has been taught about things that can pop up on there, things that are appropriate things that aren’t appropriate." 

“Any device I think it is a parent’s responsibility to go back and make sure that they are keeping tabs on what their child is doing,” she added. 

The district says Youtube kids, Facebook, and other social media apps are blocked from use in the schools.