Vandalism, Thefts At North Stafford High School Inspired By 'Devious Licks' TikTok Trend

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A TikTok trend is disrupting a Stafford County High School, according to a letter sent to parents on Monday. North Stafford High School is experiencing and increase in theft, vandalism, and destruction of property due to the "devious licks" trend that is popular on TikTok, school administrators said.

The "devious licks" trend, also known as "diabolical licks," is a TikTok challenge that sees students steal, vandalize, or destroy school property and discuss the act on the social media app.

"Over the past few weeks, we have seen an increase in vandalism and theft," North Stafford High School Principal Daniel Hornick said in the letter to parents. "The vandalism has primarily occurred in student restrooms throughout the building and is causing considerable disruption and damage to school property."

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The TikTok trend is increasing in popularity across the country, though it was virtually unheard of prior to the start of this school year, according to Google Trends.

TikTok is discouraging users from participating in the challenge. "We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities," a TikTok spokesperson told Patch. "We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior."

A representative of Stafford County Public Schools told Patch that they are aware of the trend and addressing issues as they arise with parents and school resource officers.

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"Teachers and students have informed administrators and school security about miscellaneous items that have unexpectedly disappeared," Hornick wrote. "I am asking North Nation parents/guardians to speak with their student about this situation and help us reinforce the importance of appropriate school behavior."

The school system said that students who engage in vandalism or theft will receive discipline in line with the county's Student Code of Conduct. Incidents will also be reported to members of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, who work with the school system as resource officers.

"Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe and comfortable environment that is conducive to teaching and learning," Hornick wrote in his letter to parents and guardians. "Together, we can guide our students to make good decisions and refrain from disrupting the school environment."