(Iowa) -- A viral social media trend is spreading in Iowa.
A TikTok challenge, called "Devious Licks", encourages students to steal or damage school property. The challenge recently targeted the Des Moines metro's Terra Park, according to the Johnston Police Department. The suspects stuck bread into electrical outlets and damaged the bathrooms and water fountains.
In Iowa City, the trend has popped up in Southeast Junior High. According to the Iowa City Community School District's Nick Proud, students damaging, or even stealing, school property is not new, but social media has glamorized the act.
”We’ve had some trouble with soap and toilet paper holders, paper towel holders, different things, and a variety of different supplies that have either been removed or taken off the walls,” Proud tells KCRG.
Nick Proud is the executive director of teaching and learning in the Iowa City Community School District. He says stealing was previously an infrequent, but not unheard of, occurrence. With the TikTok trend in full swing, the school district now deals with theft and vandalism on a daily basis.
Terra Park in Johnston is the most recent site of vandalism. The Johnston Police Department believes it is part of the Tik Tok trend.
Vandals could face felony charges and get their cellphone seized. Police are asking parents to talk with their children about the challenge and its consequences.
Even though TikTok has banned the challenge, users can still access "Devious Licks" by purposefully misspelling words.