Research + News | Topic: Crime

TikTok Trend Misfires After Teens Trying #OrbeezChallenge Charged With Aggravated Assault

The trend encourages people to use airsoft guns to shoot the small gel beads at people nearby. Read the article here.

TikTok’s Latest Craze: Stealing Stuff From School

Students are taking things like soap dispensers, fire alarms and bathroom mirrors. TikTok and educators are trying to stop it, but it’s gone viral. Read the article here.

Teen Arrested After ‘Zoom Bombing’ High School Classes

A Connecticut teen accused of a cyber attack known as “Zoom bombing” during a number of online classes was charged Wednesday with computer crimes. Read the article here.

Teens Exchange Nude Selfies; Now, One Must Register As A Sex Offender

Colorado’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling last week that required a juvenile boy to register as a sex offender after sexting and trading erotic pictures with two girls roughly his age, a split decision that highlights states’ recent struggles with applying laws passed in a less tech-heavy age. Read the article here.

A Teen Texted A Graphic Video Of Herself To Friends. A Court Said She’d Shared Child Pornography

The three teenagers regularly shared silly videos, trying to one-up each other and trusting the group text messages would remain private.

But one especially sensitive text did not stay among them – landing the teen who first sent it at the center of a novel court case over a sexually explicit video she made of herself and shared.

Read the rest of the article here.

Woman Sentenced To 15 Months In Texting Suicide Case

Michelle Carter gets 15 months in prison. Read the article here.

Beyond Slender Man: When Teens Use The Internet for Evil

From murder to rape to counterfeit credit cards, young people are perpetrating crimes previously unthinkable – but leaving a trail for authorities. Read the article here.