The Skull Breaker or ‘jump trip’ challenge is the latest trend to make the news, but it’s not exactly new. It involves asking a person to jump high off the ground and then kicking their legs as they land, causing them to lose balance.

This challenge has been reported in the US, where there have been several recent hospitalisations from head and back injuries. Reports also suggest that one young person died from a similar stunt in Brazil last year.

It seems that this challenge is not widespread, although it has been picked up by some outlets in the UK – and we know that sometimes this can create interest.

News of the challenge follows the release of TikTok’s new family support function last week, which aims to help parents moderate the use of the platform.

The good news is that when you search ‘skull breaker challenge’ on Tik Tok – results show multiple people (including doctors/nurses) warning about the dangers of head and back injuries – the same is true for YouTube.

TikTok also shows a prompt stating:

“TikTok values creativity and expression, but user safety is our foremost priority.

Do not perform, imitate or encourage public participation in dangerous stunts, risky behaviour that can lead to serious injury or death. Help keep the TikTok community safe and report any content you think violates our community guidelines.”

While it’s helpful to keep up to date with online challenges, it’s essential to understand them in their broader context. Sometimes we can indirectly drive attention to challenges by talking about them, so it’s best to get around this by following our advice in the video below.

For more information about why they happen, how they go viral, and how you can talk to young people about them, check out our video below.