Framingham Alerts Parents About 'Devious Licks' TikTok Trend

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A new potentially destructive trend is circulating on the video app TikTok, prompting Framingham Public Schools to alert parents about the "devious licks" challenge.

Students across the U.S. are participating in the trend, which challenges students to either steal school supplies or deface school property, and then post a video of the offense on TikTok.

In a message to parents this week, Framingham officials said participating in "devious licks" could be a criminal offense. Students from Florida to Arizona have been charged in connection to the trend, according to news reports.

"If your child uses social media, please talk to him/her/them about being socially responsible and kind; this 'challenge' is criminal behavior, not an innocent prank," the message to Framingham parents said. "Even if your child does not have social media, he/she/they may likely hear about this disturbing trend. Let’s work together to put a stop to this now. We are asking for the entire FPS community to partner with us to eliminate this behavior on our campuses."

Millions of people across the world use TikTok to post short video clips, which are typically funny or feature dancing. But the app has also been the breeding ground for a number of challenges that go viral. In late summer, the "crate challenge" tempted user to stand on wobbly milk crate towers several feet high, likely resulting in many injuries.