“National Rape Day”
What is National Rape Day?
National Rape Day started from a TikTok that was made in April of 2021, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, that declared April 24th as “National Rape Day”. The original video was allegedly made by a group of men, encouraging others to commit acts of sexual assault on this day, saying it was legal to do so.
Why should I be concerned?
We have been made aware of concerning Tik-Toks currently circulating linked to 24th April which has been unofficially named as ‘National Rape Day’ and promotes sexual assault on females. The trend originated from America in 2021 and has now become more widely promoted via Tik-Tok and other social media platforms such as Twitter.
TikTok dispute the existence of the original video however, videos with the hashtag #April24 reportedly have a total of 38 million views with thousands of videos being made in response to the original TikTok. These response videos consist of safety warnings, telling women not to leave the house on 24th April or to only travel in groups. Other videos contain threats against anyone who commits acts of sexual assault on this day.
The trend seems to be gathering momentum in North Yorkshire with a number of professionals hearing about concerns from young people across the county.
If you have concerns about a child or young person, please discuss those concerns with that person and their family. If it is felt that a referral to the Children and Families Service is required, please make use of the links below and follow the guidance on the NYSCP Worried About a Child webpage.
Further Information regarding local support services and resources:
- Childline
- Supporting Victims – Victim Support Services
- Mind Guide to Support Options for Abuse
- The Survivors Trust
- Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS)
- NSPCC Sexual Abuse Advice
- The GoTo website
- Marie Collins Foundation
- Internet Watch Foundation – Reporting Images of My Child Online
- North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy
Updated 16 March 2023
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