Gjakova, Kosovo

In a small community in Gjakova, Kosovo, a troubling wave of child self-harm cases has emerged, reportedly tied to a TikTok challenge.

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TikTok and self-harm

It all came to light when a concerned parent informed local education officials that her 12-year-old daughter and friends had injured themselves, allegedly influenced by a self-harm challenge they saw on the app. This prompted an investigation led by Gjakova's chief education officer, Eranda Kumnova-Baci, uncovering at least 22 cases of self-harm among young girls across different schools.

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Initially thought to involve minor injuries, however, “But after medical examinations, we found that some of the girls had countless injuries on all parts of their bodies,” Kumnova-Baci told AFP.

This incident has cast a shadow over Gjakova, a city of 78,000 near the Albanian border. The mother of one affected girl expressed fears about TikTok, and said, “This app publishes everything, even the most dangerous content. I think the state should ban TikTok.”.

The mother revealed that the so-called “game,” is “for girls between the ages of nine and 17 on TikTok... they are imitating and acting like in the video posted there.”

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AFP citing sources close to the victims said that many turned to self-harm to test their ability to bear pain, while others wanted to overcome passing feelings of desperation.

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TikTok challenges: fun or a threat

TikTok's official policy prohibits content that promotes self-harm or suicide. Despite that, challenges on the platform have gone viral worldwide, sometimes with harmful consequences.

“We want TikTok to be a place where you can discuss emotionally complex topics in a supportive way without increasing the risk of harm. We do not allow showing, promoting, or sharing plans for suicide or self-harm,” said the company in a statement posted on its website.

(With inputs from agencies)