**Horrific Mr. Men ‘Hate Pages’ Targeting Children on TikTok Spark Concern**
Children attending Cardiff West Community High School in Ely are reportedly facing social media bullying through the creation of “hate pages” on TikTok. Families have voiced their worry over anonymous TikTok accounts making disturbing threats, such as promising to have children “beaten up” if a post reaches a certain number of likes. These pages, often named after the school and themed around Mr Men or Little Miss characters, engage in name-calling and insults directed at specific students, like the example of “Little Miss Crawly Nits”.
One family took action by lodging a complaint with TikTok over the “harassment and bullying” perpetuated by an account that declared its intention to create a “[child’s name] hate page.” Shockingly, despite the distressing nature of the content, TikTok’s response was that the reported material did not violate their community guidelines. The platform declined to comment further when approached by WalesOnline, leaving families feeling helpless in the face of such malicious online behaviour.
As one concerned family member shared, these hateful pages go as far as creating memes with screenshots of students’ faces and inciting violence by encouraging fights and physical harm. The distress caused by these actions is not only affecting the mental health of the targeted children but also leading some to withdraw from school due to the severity of the bullying. Videos depicting violent acts among students, such as physical altercations and humiliating challenges, are being circulated on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, perpetuating a toxic online culture that normalises aggression and cruelty.
Despite Cardiff West Community High School implementing bans on mobile phones within the school premises and hiring a social media mental health therapist, the impact of online bullying persists. Parents and guardians are left feeling frustrated as their attempts to report and address these issues with TikTok often result in inadequate responses. The platform’s claim of not tolerating content that endangers young individuals appears contradictory when faced with the reality of these harmful “hate pages”.
While the school emphasises a zero-tolerance stance against bullying, especially online, the challenge of investigating anonymous accounts remains a significant obstacle in tackling this pervasive issue. Efforts to educate students about responsible social media use and the consequences of online harassment are being made, but the continuous presence of such damaging content on platforms like TikTok raises questions about the efficacy of current prevention measures. With children being exposed to disturbing content and facing potential risks to their safety and well-being, a more comprehensive and collaborative approach involving schools, families, social media platforms, and authorities may be necessary to safeguard young individuals in the digital age.