Trigger warning: This article covers topics of sexual assault.
Whether you love it or hate it, TikTok has established itself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to pop culture. From dance challenges, to political activism, to a new era of social media influencing, the app isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Unfortunately, TikTok has also been the source of some dangerous trends thanks to its popularity.
So what’s happening on April 24th? Here’s what you need to know about the disturbing trend — and how to report videos glorifying it.
What is happening on April 24th?
A group of six men on TikTok have reportedly designated April 24th as a “national day” for carrying out sexual assault. They have claimed that on April 24, 2021, it’s legal to sexually assault anybody — and they even provided tips on how to do so.
It’s unclear who is responsible for starting the trend (or whether it was a joke) at this point. However, a number of social media users have been making TikTok videos to help get the word out that this “national day” could pose a threat on April 24th.
Source: TikTok
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“So I literally just saw a video on TikTok, and I had to make a video myself because most of my followers are women and I need to make sure you guys are aware,” a TikTok user with the handle @sgtjarrett warned. “This is a video going around on TikTok of disgusting men — rapists, child molesters, predators, just disgusting human beings — and they literally came up with a date to go around and rape women and children. You literally heard me right: women and children.”
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The TikTok user went on to explain that the date is reportedly April 24, also encouraging her followers to help spread the message so that women are aware of the potential threat.
“You guys, stay indoors. I know it happens every day, but they are literally making this date especially for that. Carry what you got to carry because I think the f–k not. Stay safe, please share this.”