Children in Cardiff face bullying on TikTok, with hate pages targeting them.
Cardiff: Kids are scared to go to school because of bullying on social media. Hate pages on TikTok target specific students, making threats. One family shared that their child received threats to get “beaten up” if a post got enough likes.
Many hate pages use Mr Men or Little Miss themes. They insult students with names like “Little Miss Crawly Nits.” One family reported a page that said, “I’m turning this into a [child’s name] hate page.” TikTok claimed the content didn’t break their rules.
A family member said, “They’ve made horrible memes of her face.” The school knows about over ten hate pages. These pages encourage fights and say things like, “This person needs to be beaten up.” It’s hard to stop this behavior.
Parents are frustrated. They reported a hate page, but TikTok wouldn’t remove it. Even after explaining it involved a 13-year-old, TikTok said no. Kids are being ridiculed online, and it’s affecting their mental health.
Some videos show kids fighting, filmed by others. One girl was made to lick another girl’s shoe on camera. This is the reality of social media for these kids.
One family tried to confront a troll behind a hate page. The troll claimed many accounts were posting about their child. They said, “People are posting TikToks of her.” The family explained how this hurt their child, but the troll continued posting.
Cardiff West Community High School has banned phones, but it hasn’t helped much. A family said, “They are a good school, but kids still hide phones.” Some students are withdrawing from school due to bullying.
One account even asked, “How can a mother stop us?” Parents need to be aware. If your child seems quiet or doesn’t want to go to school, ask about social media.
TikTok says it doesn’t allow harmful content. They claim to protect young people from bullying. We asked why they rejected the family’s complaint, but they didn’t respond.
The school takes bullying seriously. They educate students about social media dangers. They banned phones to protect students, but it’s hard to enforce outside school hours.
Parents should report issues to TikTok and the police. Anonymous accounts are tough to investigate. This is a big concern for schools in Wales, and a national conversation is needed.
