What's Happening on April 24th on TikTok? The Disturbing Trend, Explained

Content warning: This article covers topics of sexual assault.

Whether you love it or hate it, TikTok has established itself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to pop culture. From popularizing dance challenges to helping political activists spread the word to offering a new era of social media influencing, the app has become a hub of cultural activity. Unfortunately, TikTok has also been the source of some dangerous trends thanks to its popularity.

So, what's happening on April 24? Here's what you need to know about the disturbing "trend" — and how to report videos glorifying it.

Back in 2021, a group of six men on TikTok reportedly designated April 24 as a "national day" for carrying out sexual assault. They have claimed that on April 24 it's legal to sexually assault anybody — and they even provided tips on how to do so.

It's unclear who is responsible for starting the trend (or whether it was a joke) at this point. However, a number of social media users made TikTok videos to help get the word out that this "national day" could pose a threat.

"I was just browsing TikTok, and one of the videos I was watching — I heard this rumor, joke, hoax, whatever it is, that April 24 is national ... abuse day. I'm not going to say that word," a TikTok user with the handle @sgtjarrett began.

"If you have experienced this, I am so sorry. And if you know of someone or love someone who has, I'm sorry. To my brothers, friends, family, protect those you love and keep them safe. They are scared of this. This is not funny, this is not a joke, this is not something to laugh about. This kind of abuse should never happen to anybody," he continued, clearly emotional over the disturbing "trend."

He, like many others, encouraged his followers to do their best to stay extra safe on April 24.

"If you can stay home, please do. If you have to go out and about, please remain with someone you know and someone you trust. Hopefully, none of these sick scumbags are actually brave enough to try anything, but you never know," Dustin Jarrett said in a separate 2021 video.

New April 24 reaction videos are making their rounds on TikTok, proving that the twisted "trend" isn't dead just yet.

As of this writing, it looks like some men have posted warning videos indicating what they'll do if another man tries anything on April 24.

"'April 24 is coming, you know what that means' ... Yeah, it means if you touch her, you're dead," TikTok user @blake.aesthetic said in a 2024 TikTok video.

"'Yo bro you know April 24 is coming up right?' ... Yeah, step close to her and I'll sentence you to a lifetime in a hospital bed," wrote TikToker @asher_5.0 in another 2024 video.

Plenty of other TikTok users have followed suit in an attempt to make sure that people are aware of a potential increased threat on April 24. Many have encouraged their followers to report any video they see that promotes this "national day" of sexual assault.

If you happen to stumble across a video on TikTok that promotes violence of any sort — on any day of the year — simply click on the white arrow on the right side of the video. Next, tab the icon that says "report" with a symbol of a flag. Finally, choose the best reason from the list.