The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office charged two minors on March 3 with third-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering an injured victim, after the pair participated in what’s known as the “skull breaker challenge” on social media site TikTok that injured a fellow student.
The incident occurred on Jan. 24 at an undisclosed Cherry Hill middle school. The victim, also a minor, suffered a seizure as well as a concussion with loss of consciousness. He was hospitalized at Cooper Medical Center in Camden for a day and a half, and subsequently missed a week of school.
Since returning to the classroom, the victim’s mother Stacy Shenker said, he has been subject to “academic accommodations.” These restrictions include limited screen time with electronics, prohibition from taking major school examinations or state standardized tests, as well as no gym class participation or participation in club or team sports.
Since the incident, Shenker said her son’s limited screen time at home has been raised from 30 minutes per day to 2.5 hours.
The “skull breaker” entails three people standing side by side who take turns jumping in the air. When the person in the middle makes their leap, two people on the ends take out the middle one’s legs, sending the other participant off-balance.
What differentiated Shenker’s son’s experience was that he was apparently unaware of the nature of the stunt beforehand.
Cherry Hill Public Schools declined comment on the matter beyond a letter released to district parents on Feb. 27. In that missive, Superintendent Joseph Meloche addressed the prevalence and influence of social media sites on the student population, referencing the above incident:
“The vast majority of children in our district have access to, or carry some sort of electronic device with them every day – smart phones, tablets, digital media players, etc. While these devices can be very useful and necessary in life and in school, they can also expose our children to images, ideas, challenges, and influences that the adults in their lives would never condone or endorse.
“Recently, a few CHPS students attempted to replicate ‘pranks’ or ‘challenges’ they saw on TikTok and other platforms, resulting in classmates being injured — physically and emotionally. Often, children act impulsively and without considering the consequence of their actions. Help them to understand the extreme unintended outcomes that may occur because of a fleeting moment of making a bad choice.”
The full letter can be found by visiting www.chclc.org/domain/942.
According to additional reports, the challenge has also recently claimed alleged victims in Alabama, Massachusetts and Arizona.
The Prosecutor’s Office declined to name the two minors who were charged. Acting County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer urged parents to talk to their children regarding the potential for hazardous consequences when participating in the latest online trend.
“While the challenges may seem funny or get views on social media platforms, they can have serious and long lasting health consequences,” she said in a release accompanying the presentation of charges.
“By having this talk with your kids, we hope to prevent future injuries and raise awareness about the real danger of some of these online trends.”
