Viral Online Challenges & Dares
Understanding the risks of viral online challenges and dares, recognising when a challenge may be dangerous, and knowing how to respond if your child is involved.
What is this?
Viral challenges spread rapidly across social media platforms, particularly TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Many are harmless fun, but some involve physical risk, self-harm, or activities that are illegal or dangerous. Children and young people are particularly susceptible because of peer pressure, the desire for likes and views, and the excitement of participation. The speed at which challenges spread means that by the time parents or schools are aware, a challenge may already be widely known among young people.
How it works
Challenges typically begin with a video that goes viral, encouraging viewers to replicate the activity and post their own version. Hashtags make challenges easy to find and share. Some challenges are deliberately designed to escalate in danger as participants try to outdo each other. Children may feel they are missing out if they do not take part, and peer pressure — both online and offline — can be significant. Dangerous challenges have included the Blackout Challenge, the Fire Challenge, and various challenges involving consumption of harmful substances.
Warning signs
In your child's behaviour
- • Watching the same video clip repeatedly
- • Secretive about online challenges or what they are viewing
- • Physical marks or injuries after online activity
On their device
- • Challenge-related search history or hashtag searches
- • Videos of dangerous activities saved or bookmarked
Prevention steps
Talk openly about challenges
Regularly discuss viral trends with your child in a non-judgemental way. Ask what challenges they have seen online and whether any of their friends have taken part. Making this a normal topic of conversation means they are more likely to come to you if something concerns them.
Help them recognise social pressure
Explain how challenge culture works — the pressure to participate, to get views, and to be seen as brave or funny. Help your child develop the confidence to say no to a dare, even if friends are doing it, by practising how they might respond.
Use platform safety and reporting tools
Show your child how to report dangerous challenge content on platforms they use. Many platforms remove harmful challenge content when reported, and reporting it is a positive action that may protect other children.
What to do if it happens
- 1If your child has been injured or is in immediate danger, call 999. For non-emergency medical concerns, contact your GP or call 111.
- 2Stay calm and listen. Avoid responding with anger — your child needs to feel safe telling you what happened. Focus on their wellbeing first, then address the behaviour separately.
- 3Report the original challenge content to the platform and, if serious harm has occurred, to the police. Contact CEOP if the challenge involved sexual content or grooming.
Related topics
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-15