'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
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.