The purpose of this post is to warn families of a recent trend that has unfortunately begun on TikTok declaring April 24th as “National Rape Day”. Although it is true that we should not always take everything we hear on the internet seriously, it is important that we do what we can to maintain safety. According to various news sites, TikTok users are saying that a group of men has declared April 24th a “national day” for carrying out sexual assault and rape.
Even if this is a hoax, it might present as an opportunity for parents to discuss sexual violence with children in order to reassure them that the lines of communication are open should they have any questions or concerns on the subject.
Some options for how to specifically handle April 24th may be to make a plan with your child regarding who they will be with, discussing the importance of being with a group of people that they trust, or simply staying home. You may also choose to have a conversation about skills for maintaining safety in any situation. In addition to maintaining physical safety, a conversation regarding online safety may be helpful including only allowing people you know to follow your social media accounts.
If your child is a user of TikTok, it may also be helpful to remind them that if they see anything that promotes rape, sexual assault, or violence, they should block these videos and report them to the app as well.
Here is a helpful video for you to watch with your child: