LVJUSD Condemns Student Vandalism Amid Social Media Trend

LIVERMORE, CA — Schools in Livermore and across the country have been hit by vandalism and theft — particularly in bathrooms — in the wake of a social media trend that garnered widespread attention on TikTok.

TikTok, a video-sharing social media platform popular among teenagers, has since banned the #deviouslicks hashtag, which was used to share videos of students stealing items such as soap dispensers, sinks, hand sanitizer, toilets, toilet paper holders or keys from bathrooms, classrooms, teachers and even fellow students. The hashtag remains active on other social media platforms and shows people purporting to steal items off-campus such as road signs and tires.

Some schools have gone so far as to remove doors from bathrooms or restrict use due to the thefts, or "licks."

Livermore schools are ramping up campus surveillance and playing back camera footage after on-campus vandalism, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District leadership and Livermore police said Tuesday in a letter to families.

Students caught stealing or with stolen items will be disciplined. School officials may revoke student privileges to sports and extracurricular activities such as games, dances or graduation and involve law enforcement "in extreme circumstances," according to the letter.

Family members will be held responsible for covering the cost of any damage. Parents who realize their student stole property are asked to return those items to the school and come forward to school administrators.

"This cooperation will be taken into account when determining consequences," according to the letter.

Officials asked parents to speak with students about these consequences, and remind them about responsible social media use and their digital footprint.

"We are confident that with proactive discussions and the reinforcement of positive behavior, we can prevent our students from engaging in this disruptive and destructive behavior and keep our schools in the best condition possible for all students and staff," they wrote.

The viral #deviouslicks videos have drawn comparisons to the Tide pod challenge, which picked up steam in 2018. Participants bit into the liquid detergent pods.

Such challenges are attractive because they spur a dopamine rush as follows and likes trickle in, and foster a sense of belonging in teens, whose prefrontal cortexes have yet to develop, psychologist Claire Crooks told The Washington Post.

Get tips on how to address the trend with your kids from The Washington Post.