'Devious Licks': Latest TikTok trend targets school bathrooms in Regina
From stolen urinal attempts to missing soap dispensers, washrooms in Regina schools have become the target of the latest TikTok challenge.
Known as the “devious licks” challenge, the viral trend has high school students vandalizing school property and uploading video evidence to the social media platform.
“I guess they find it funny, but in reality it’s costing the school a lot of money,” said Charlie Krescy, a Grade 11 student at Campbell Collegiate.
“They’ve closed down a lot of the bathrooms. There was a full day where there was only one bathroom open for both boys and girls washrooms.”
According to Krescy, Campbell students first saw the TikTok challenge at their school a couple weeks ago. Since then, she estimates there have been at least 10 incidents.
“I’m surprised how many people have done it and how fast it came to the school,” said Pano Beckar, a Grade 10 student at Campbell Collegiate.
“We can’t go through one class without the teacher going on the P.A. system and telling us to stop.”
In a statement, Regina Public Schools spokesperson Terry Lazarou said the division is aware of the social media challenge.
“There have been several cases of students engaging in these activities. Schools are dealing with them on a localized basis,” the statement read.
According to the Regina Police Service (RPS), a couple of “minor” incidents in school washrooms were reported to school resource officers last week.
RPS spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich said those cases are under investigation. No charges have been laid.
It’s possible the incidents are related to the TikTok challenge, but police do not know for certain, she said.
Despite the potential consequences of being charged with mischief, students across North America continue to participate in the trend.
“People learn from their peers and they’re pressured by their peers,” said Alec Couros, an educational technology and media professor at the University of Regina.
“Once we consider social media, we have to see that this pressure comes not just from a small peer group at school, but it comes from around the world.”
Urban Dictionary defines devious licks as a “successful type of theft which results in an acceptable, impressive and rewarding payday for the protagonist.”
According to Couros, the reward is social media recognition, not the value of what’s being taken from the school bathroom.
“The value comes from the impressive act,” he said.
“If it’s impressive to other kids, it makes you look like a rebel, like you’ve done something that goes against the system.”
The challenge is not very different from kids stealing signs or damaging property 20 or 30 years ago, Couros said.
However, he said, social media makes these dares more detrimental to students' digital identity.
“It might be some simple, trivial thing, but you can be remembered for it for the rest of your life,” Couros said.
“It will be there when you’re applying for jobs or when you’re going to university.”
As a parent, Couros said he’s concerned about the social media pressures that his kids could face. He said communication is key for all parents to understand what pressures their kids are under and how new trends could impact their safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.