What does April 24 mean on TikTok? Details explored about the disturbing trend

TikTok seemed to dub April 24 as a disturbing day called "National R*pe Day." It is not a recognized holiday of any sort. It originated when a group of six men allegedly banded together in 2021. They designated April 24 as a "national day" for carrying out s*xual assault and harassment.

These six men even claimed that it is legal to s*xually assault anybody on April 24. They also provided tips and tricks for doing so, encouraging viewers to harass others.

It is unclear who is responsible for starting the trend or joke (albeit a disturbing one). However, this could be a potential cause for concern for all.

Six men allegedly started the trend (Image via Twitter/Michael_from_MI)

USA Today pointed out the six men responsible for this horrifying TikTok event. Fact-checkers at the magazine couldn't find evidence, but social media users continued to talk about April 24 as rumors went around last year too. Numerous accounts are raising alarm bells to remind people to stay safe on this date before it.

Every year, April is celebrated as S*xual Assault Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to advocating, educating, preventing, and healing from cases of s*xual assault.

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TikTok users are alarmed due to the April 24 trend and are doing all they can to help prevent it

Users of the short-video platform are warning people about the disturbing topic involving April 24 and s*xual assault. Many users have claimed that the videos are a "joke" started by trolls, while multiple others are sharing warnings about the safety hazard with their followers.

The #April24 hashtag has gone viral and garnered about 26 million views. However, if the hashtag is looked up on Instagram, viewers won't come across any of the original troll videos.

Users share the hotline to reach out for help (Image via Twitter/bkiplxxi)

Instead, you will find hundreds of videos of people condemning those who started this disturbing idea. Others also spread the word and urged people to stay safe and sound.

Thankfully, there isn't any evidence pointing to a rise in the threat of s*xual assault on April 24 due to this dangerous trend.

USA Today's 2021 report stated that neither the fact checkers nor TikTok found any validity in rumors that people were going to heed any encouragement to commit harassment that particular day.

A TikTok spokesperson told Newsweek:

"While we have not found evidence on our platform of any videos related to this subject, our safety team is remaining vigilant and we will remove content that violates our policies."

However, users are still concerned about the rumors. Some said it was going to be dangerous to commute, while others were worried about their safety.

A social media user shares tips on how to stay safe on this day (Image via Twitter/iCuddleGeorge)

Whether it is April 24 or not, it is always a good idea to know how to report TikTok videos that threaten violence. Based on the platform, here is how to report disturbing videos from your phone:

1. Open the app.
2. Go to the video that concerns you.
3. Press on the video. Hold.
4. A dropdown will appear. Select "report."
5. Follow TikTok's instructions.

To report a video from your computer:

1. Go to the video.
2. On the bottom right, you will see three dots. Click them.
3. Select "report" from the dropdown menu.
4. Follow the instructions.

The social media platform has an online form that can be filled out to flag content, including videos that promote violence - like s*xual assault.

Among other things, social media users are starting to emphasize the value of safety and learning self-defense skills in case of any circumstance.