NJ students charged after ‘skull breaker’ challenge left kid hurt

CHERRY HILL — A pair of students now face charges for carrying out a dangerous social media "challenge" that left a third student hurt, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Two minors are charged with third-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering an injured victim, according to the prosecutor’s office, which also confirmed the charges were “filed within the last week.”

In a letter to school families sent last week, Cherry Hill Schools Superintendent Joseph Meloche said some township students recently tried to imitate “'pranks' or 'challenges' they saw on TikTok, and other platforms, resulting in classmates being injured – physically and emotionally."

The parents of a 13-year-old boy who lives in the township previously told reporters their son suffered a concussion and seizure while being involved in the “Skull Breaker Challenge” on TikTok, the video-sharing social network that's spiked in popularity in the past year or so.

Among public warnings against such a dangerous trend, an Italian Red Cross squad shared a PSA-style video, set to music, on TikTok itself, as seen below:

@crimascaluciaStop! ##skullbreakerchallenge ##crocerossa ##crocerossaitaliana ##crimascalucia♬ Rompe - HJM Mix - Dj Jad, Wlady, Jay Santos

The social media app also shows a disclaimer-type warning when a user looks up the #SkullBreakerChallenge hashtag to view posted videos. “Do not perform, imitate or encourage public participation in dangerous stunts and risky behaviour that can lead to serious injury or death," the warning reads, in part.

"Often, children act impulsively and without considering the consequence of their actions," Meloche said in the same letter, adding "If your child has an electronic device, ask them to share what apps they are viewing and using."

TikTok has roughly 300 million monthly active users globally, with another 500 million monthly active users in China alone, according to datareportal.

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