Parents warned about new TikTok challenge causing deaths

Challenges and pranks can be quite entertaining but when the said challenge/prank puts the victim at a risk of losing their life, that’s a whole other ballgame.

A new challenge has overrun TikTok and become a point of concern. It’s referred to as the Tripping/Jump Challenge and is most popular among school-going children.

The prank

It usually involves three people although the victim only finds this out much later.

One prankster challenges the victim to see who can jump higher. Once the victim accepts the challenge, a second prankster joins the duo with the victim in the middle. As the three jump up, on coming back down, the two pranksters, kick the victim’s legs from under him causing him to fall and land on his back, hitting the head on the ground. All this is recorded and shared on TikTok.

Warning

The prank which first grew in popularity in South America has come under fire with numerous warnings circulating online urging parents to caution their children.

Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Education released a statement Saturday, asking teachers and parents to warn students on the dangers of this challenge.

Reports stated that one student in the Caribbean island had broken her hand when she fell.

Other reports state that a 16-year-old Brazillian girl died in November 2019 when her friends tried to play the prank on her.

In the United States, parents have sought legal redress against pranksters after their children got injured.

Hitting your head on the ground can cause various head injuries. According to Healthline, the victim can suffer from skull fractures, a concussion, haemorrhaging and blood clots in the brain, among others.

A mother from Arizona, US has spoken up chronicling how her son became unconscious when he fell and had to get several stitches after he got severe cuts.  

She begged parents to warn their children about the dangers of the prank.