The School District of Osceola County is addressing a distressing list of challenges school-aged TikTok users have posted to the platform that encourage destruction of property and inappropriate behavior toward others.
It began in September with a viral “devious lick” challenge, which involves TikTok app users posting photos or videos of stealing or destroying items in bathrooms like soap or hand sanitizer containers.
As Osceola County parents have reported their children noticing damage to restrooms in more than one school, it has reached the local level. Schools Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace addressed it this week in a YouTube video.
“When TikTok is used responsibly, it can be a fun, creative outlet. However, like many social media apps, it can be a source of viral challenges,” she said on the video. “While this has been reported as a national trend, I’m sorry to say that it has reached our Osceola Community.”
There is a now widely-distributed list of “challenges” for each remaining month of the school year that involve, using vague terms, inappropriately touching staff and other students, engaging in other inappropriate behavior, and other acts of vandalism. For instance, the October listing is to hit a school staff member. School officials – and law enforcement – remind students and parents doing so is grounds for charges for assault, battery or both.
School District spokesperson Dana Schafer said officials have received reports “of a few incidents” in September, but have yet heard of any of the October challenges.
“This isn’t an Osceola thing, but rather a national thing,” she said.
All the behaviors listed are, ”far beneath the expectations we hold for our students in Osceola County,” Pace said.
“Any student in the district that violates our Student Code of Conduct will face discipline at their school, and possibly charges from law enforcement,” she said. “What may seem like a harmless prank can have very serious and life changing consequences for a student. I remain extremely proud of the positive learning environment and general tone of good discipline that exist in the schools across Osceola County, achieved through the cooperative effort among students, school personnel and parents to establish an orderly and purposeful educational atmosphere.”
