Disturbing TikTok Trend Sees Girls Posing As Victims Of Domestic Abuse In Videos
Image via Shutterstock
A disturbing viral trend shows TikTok users being covered in bruises and smudged makeup, claiming to raise awareness about domestic abuse.
In one video, TikTok user @jenniferjordi is seen smiling and applying makeup with I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire by The Ink Spots playing in the background. The clip then cuts to her being covered in bruises and tears in front of a dark background.
The footage, captioned with the text, “You go on a date with your abusive boyfriend and it doesn’t end well,” instantly went viral and amassed over three million views.
Understandably, not everyone appreciated such content as it could be deemed to be “romanticizing abuse.” Her video was later taken down by TikTok.
@jenniferjordi, however, told VICE that her point-of-view video aimed to “raise awareness” about abusive relationships, and while some comments were negative, many people had stepped forward to thank her and opened up about their own experiences.
Another TikTok user made a similar video where she pretended to have murdered the family of her cheating boyfriend. She defended, “To anyone that may argue POVs could normalize this type of behavior, I would say that the videos actually help to spread awareness.”
“Since people going through abuse may feel alone, having a POV dedicated to their situation prevents them from feeling so isolated,” she added.
While these videos aim to shine a light on relationship abuse, they might be triggering for children and teenagers who aren’t expecting to see them as the clips do not come with trigger warnings. A spokesperson for TikTok, however, said users can activate the Restricted Mode to filter disturbing footage from the usual feed.
According to Daily Dot, TikTok doesn’t tolerate content that “glorifies or promotes domestic suffering.” However, “newsworthy content” and “content meant to raise awareness” are exceptions to the rule.
The trend follows in the footsteps of a series of videos where TikTok users feign mugshots with makeup tricks to appear beaten up.
Hi everyone, tiktok took this down probably because they are too scared to show the graphic reality of domestic abuse. 0808 2000 247 domestic abuse helpline ☎️ However difficult a situation you are in please tell someone. I promise it will get better. There is an escape! 🖤 pic.twitter.com/lz3kKH3jDm
— Amelia Bell (@ameliabellxxx) April 2, 2020
@itsselmo POV: your psychotic bf goes off on you for going out and not telling him. You try looking away but he follows ur eyes- shouting at you.
♬ Original Sound - Unknown
@lianajadee POV: I get jealous and accidentally shoot you, you then get flashbacks to how it used to be
♬ Sweet but Psycho - Ava Max
that thing people on tiktok do where they make those pov things ab stuff like domestic abuse or addictions r so tasteless stop trivialising that shit it’s real bruv
— kim 🧘🏼♀️💖🧚🏻♀️💖 (@kimchrstina) February 28, 2020
the amount of times i see tiktok boys doing those “pov” things but they are pretending to hurt/abuse/murder girls is concerning.
— :/ (@hauntedandholy) November 22, 2019
in the last 24 hours i’ve seen two absolutely life changing POV tiktok......one of a teenage boy sexily pretending to watch his father executed during the holocaust, the other of a teenage girl sexily pretending to be the victim of domestic abuse.... i want to be died
— marquis de sad (@literatihottie) March 30, 2020
TW❗❗
— ♡ Llama ✈ BTS ♡ (@Llama_Hoe21) March 27, 2020
Okay so i was on tiktok and then this pov popped up and it was about abuse and i started crying and im still crying and i just realized it triggered me and i havent been triggered in a long time it feels shitty im usually able to watch these things but idbskwgfoahflwv
[via VICE, opening image via Shutterstock]
