People are being urged to report the ‘power outage challenge’ to TikTok if they see any videos of the dangerous trend – Archie Battersby was allegedly taking part in the challenge before his mother found him unresponsive at home, The Independent reports.
The 12-year-old boy from Southend in Essex, England died on Saturday 6 August 2022 after his parents lost a legal battle to keep resuscitators running.
Here’s what you need to know about the Blackout Challenge and how to report it if you see any content related to it.
Explanation of the TikTok Blackout Challenge
If you see anything related to a blackout challenge on TikTok or any other platform, you should not interact with it and report the content immediately.
The dangerous challenge is that users “dare” users to hold their breath until they pass out due to lack of oxygen.
As The Independent reported, Archie’s mother claimed her son was involved in the trend before finding him unconscious at their home in April of this year.
Archie died Saturday after his life-long treatment was withdrawn after a serious brain injury.
The challenge has already been reported – “Check your children’s phones”
Parents have been urged to report the challenge before after a Pennsylvania mother spoke out about it following the death of her 10-year-old daughter.
Tawina Anderson’s daughter, Nyla, was found dead in her bedroom in December 2021 after allegedly attempting to participate in the challenge, ABC 7 News reported at the time. The mother warned other parents not to “check your children’s phones”.
TikTok condemned the power outage challenge and said it would assist “the relevant authorities in their investigations as appropriate.”
A TikTok spokesperson told Newsweek at the time, “Our deepest sympathies are with the girl’s family and friends. We don’t allow content that encourages, promotes or glorifies dangerous behavior that could lead to infection, and our teams work hard to identify and remove content that violates our policies.”
“While we have not currently found evidence of content on our platform that may have encouraged such an off-platform incident, we will continue to monitor closely as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our community safe.”
HITC has reached out to TikTok for comment.
How to report videos
If you come across any trend-related content, you should report it on TikTok and do the following:
- Click on the white arrow to the right of the video
- Tap the icon that says “Report” with the flag icon
- Click “Suicide, Self-harm, and Serious Acts” and report the content
If you receive any messages related to the challenge, do not interact with them and report the accounts immediately.
If you or someone else has been affected by this article and needs mental health support, please refer to the following resources:
Anxiety in the UK
Call: 03444775774
Visit: http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
mind
Call: 0300123 3393
Visit: http://www.mind.org.uk/
Samaritans
Call: 116123
Visit: http://www.samaritans.org/
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