Know about the tap out challenge on TikTok
The death of 14-year-old Hamdan Aslam at St Kentigern’s Academy, Blackburn, Scotland, on Tuesday, June 6, has sparked a widespread uproar on social media.
Responding to an emergency call regarding a “playground incident,” the emergency services found Hamdan unconscious, and he later passed away in the hospital. The tragic incident is shrouded in controversy as some claim his death to be the consequence of a lethal TikTok trend known as the “Tapout Challenge.”
Explained what is the tap out challenge on TikTok, why is it dangerous and its meaning as Hamdan Aslam dies
The Tapout Challenge, a perilous trend circulating on social media platforms, provokes participants to place others in chokeholds until they lose consciousness. This fatal game is believed to have claimed the life of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee last year, inflicting irreversible brain damage.
A14 year old boy HamdanAslam died following an incident after the incident he was rushed to the hospital and died shortly after.He said a boy who had been bullying him"put him in a chokehold and wouldn't let go"and that the incident was"being passed off as a game called tap out". pic.twitter.com/tAgogPVn1l
— uk bait outs (@ukfights370) June 9, 2023
One of Hamdan’s relatives alleges that the youngster was a victim of playground bullying, where another schoolboy applied a deadly chokehold, leading to his death. The allegations stand unconfirmed as several outlets, including BBC, report that police do not correlate Hamdan’s death with this dangerous online challenge.
Online community stirs in wake of tragic incident to Hamdan Aslam
Despite police discrediting the linkage between the Tapout Challenge and Hamdan’s demise, concerns remain rife within the online community. Claims made by the victim’s relative and their spread on the Instagram account Pubity have further fueled fears about the safety of schools in the face of such deadly online trends.
Many comments spotlight the escalating concerns over school safety, such as one user who lamented, “This is just sad. No parent should dread sending their kid to school and never getting them back. Schools should be a safe space for education, not a hub for violence.”
Investigation underway amid community grief
While the police continue to investigate the circumstances leading to Hamdan’s tragic passing, they remain tight-lipped, citing the sensitivity of an ongoing investigation.
News of the unfortunate incident has cast a pall over the Scottish community. Local politicians, including MSP Fiona Hyslop, expressed their heartfelt condolences on social media. St John the Baptist Parish Church, Fauldhouse, called for prayers for the grieving family. Renowned singers Lewis Capaldi and Susan Boyle, alumni of St Kentigern’s Academy, are among those associated with the school where this incident unfolded.
While this heartbreaking incident leaves us with more questions than answers, it undeniably underscores the urgent need for vigilance and regulation regarding online trends, ensuring our children’s safety both on and off the digital world.
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