Are your kids texting secret incel emojis? These are what the seemingly-innocent symbols truly imply… and oldsters could also be shocked

Police and schools have issued warnings to parents about a ‘sinister emoji’ code used by incel teenagers in the wake of the success of Netflix hit Adolescence.

Teachers and police forces have distributed a ‘periodic table of sinister emojis’ believed to be used by under-18s to conceal disturbing messages about violence, sex, drugs, and extremism.

It comes as Adolescence, which has become the UK’s most-watched streaming programme, shows school children using emojis to spread hidden messages about misogyny and radicalisation.

The series follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, who is arrested for the murder of a female classmate.

In one shocking scene, we see just how far out of their depth the series’ adults are, as DI Luke Bascome’s son explains the sinister meaning behind common emojis.

Merseyside Police have already circulated the emoji table to schools and parents, according to the Liverpool Echo. However, critics have dismissed the warnings as ‘moral panic’.  

The ’emoji code’, produced by education charity For Working Parents, exposes 60 seemingly innocent symbols being used to hide disturbing messages about drugs, violence, sex, self-harm, extremism and incels, meaning involuntary celibates.

These include the OK hand gesture, said to be linked to the far-Right, a dragon emoji representing heroin and hedgehog emoji, which signifies neo-Nazi.

Merseyside Police have already circulated the emoji table to schools and parents

Netflix’s thriling drama Adolescence has shed light on the secret world of emojis. Pictured: Stephen Graham (left) and Owen Cooper (right) 

In one shocking scene we see just how far out of their depth the series’ adults are, as DI Luke Bascome’s son explains the sinister meaning behind common emojis

Other emojis are a pill emoji, used to indicate incel culture, a ghost emoji meaning anti-woman and a devil emoji for lust.

A donut is said to mean anal sex, a pair of scissors is linked to self-harm while a horse means ketamine.

The charity, which promotes ‘inclusive communities’, says schools across the South West, London, the Midlands, and the North of England are now warning parents about the ‘sinister’ code. 

South Wirral High School in Cheshire said it was sharing the table with parents and cautioned that ’emojis aren’t always as innocent as they seem’

While, Hailsham Community College, in East Sussex, has told parents that Adolescence ‘had shone a light on how emojis can, in some instances, be used as a coded language with a more sinister meaning.’

Amit Kalley, the founder of education charity For Working Parents urged mothers and fathers to ‘keep researching and asking the right questions’ about their children’s digital lives.

He told the Telegraph: ‘The table I created is far from an exhaustive list, but I wanted to include emojis beyond incel and misogyny, because lots of young people are groomed online into drugs and violence and lots of young people are involved in dangerous sexual behaviours, which they can hide from parents by using emojis and acronyms. ‘

Councillor Simon Minas-Bound, of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, backed the initiative, saying it helps parents ‘understand what your child might really be saying’ in online conversations. 

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has praised the show, while writer Jack Thorne has called for it to be shown in schools nationwide 

However, Mike Buchanan, of Justice for Men & Boys, labelled it as ‘moral panic’ and argued that crimes by boys and young men ‘are not being caused by emojis’, accusing the media of ‘gynocentrism’ in focusing solely on the dangers posed to girls.   

Adolescence continues to dominate headlines, with figures published by ratings body BARB showing that the first episode was watched by 6.45 million people in its first week.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has praised the show, while writer Jack Thorne has called for it to be shown in schools nationwide.

The Prime Minister said on Monday: ‘There’s a reason why the debate has suddenly sparked into life. A lot of people who work with young people at school or elsewhere recognise that we may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address.’ 

This is not the first time police have sounded the alarm over secret digital codes. 

In December 2022, Surrey Police warned of a ‘secret world of emojis’ linked to drugs and sex, while earlier this month, Nottinghamshire Police issued a list of 52 acronyms and hashtags allegedly used by teenagers to discuss mental health, drugs, and sex.