April 24 has become a trending day on TikTok with many unaware of the disturbing reason why the day has gained traction in some parts of the internet.
This has prompted some professionals to express concern for the safety of women and children as the date arrives.
*Trigger Warning* Please be advised that the following article deals with topics relating to sexual assault and violence against women.
What is the meaning behind April 24 as the disturbing TikTok trend gains traction?
The disturbing TikTok trend gained traction after users on TikTok announced that it was 'National Rape Day' in 2021.
This comes amid Sexual Assault Awareness Month which takes place every April.
It is unclear where the trend originally started but it is believed it was started by a group of men who were encouraging other men to commit acts of sexual assault on the day, saying it was legal to do so.
The day is not nationally recognised, nor is the claim true.
Should I be concerned about April 24 or 'National Rape Day' on TikTok?
North Yorkshire's Safe Guarding Children Partnership, a group dedicated to ensuring the safety of children has expressed concern over the trend.
The trend, which originally started in America, promotes sexual assault on women and has been promoted on sites like TikTok and Twitter.
TikTok currently disputes the existence of the original video but the hashtag #April 24 reportedly has a total view count of 38 million with thousands of videos made in response to the original clip.
These videos are largely safety warnings urging women to not leave the house on the date.
This comes as the trend gains traction with a number of professionals expressing concern over the 'day'.
How to block dangerous videos and accounts
While reporting videos may seem like a hopeless task when such content is so widely spread, it can have an impact.
If you and others report these videos, you are helping to reduce the spread of dangerous messages.
To report and block them, simply click the arrow located on the bottom of the screen (next to the comment section) and click the flag titled "report".
After clicking this, you will receive a list of reasons for your report. The report will flag the content to TikTok and block it from your account.
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