An 11-year-old girl in the Bronx was severely burned earlier this week after a friend dumped a pot of boiling water on her face and back while she was sleeping over at a friend's house, authorities said.

The alleged assault occurred late Sunday night in the Bronx, during a slumber party attended by several other pre-teen girls in the vicinity of Findlay Avenue and East 166th Street in the Bronx, according to police. During the slumber party, one 12-year-old decided to dump a pot of scalding hot water on the victim, reportedly as part of a "game that is sweeping the country called the 'hot water challenge.'"

That game, according to the NY Post, can either involve pouring boiling water on unsuspecting targets or drinking boiling water, then uploading the footage to social media. Like other supposedly popular teen and pre-teen trends seized on by the media, it’s not immediately clear whether this is an actual craze, or simply nightmare fodder for concerned parents.

The victim was taken to Harlem Hospital following the ordeal, where she is reportedly in serious but stable condition. Her mother told NY1 her daughter is still experiencing a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally.

"She's emotionally messed up," the mother said. "She don't understand why they did that to her. She thought they was her friends." She added that doctors are not allowing her child to even look at the scars.

The 12-year-old who allegedly dumped the boiling water was arrested the following morning and charged with felony assault, police said.

