News Story: Teens Face Charges After TikTok Challenge Injures Classmate (Link: https://www.instagram.com/latimes/p/C3QiZk_R1FC/)

Summary: This Los Angeles Times article describes an incident where multiple teenagers face assault charges after participating in a dangerous TikTok challenge known as the “Devious Licks” trend. This challenge encourages vandalism and theft of school property, with participants posting their actions on the social media platform. In this specific case, a group of students allegedly blocked a bathroom stall door, causing injury to another student who became trapped inside.

Behavioral Interpretation: The behavior exhibited by the teenagers is concerning from multiple perspectives. Here’s a breakdown:

• Attention-Seeking: The teens’ actions seem motivated by a desire for online attention and validation through social media “clout.” The challenge itself encourages risky behavior for public display.
• Social Influence/Peer Pressure: Participating in the challenge might be influenced by a desire to fit in with peers or social groups that endorse this behavior.
• Lack of Consideration for Consequences: The teenagers seemingly disregarded the potential harm their actions could cause to others, suggesting a lapse in considering potential consequences.

Ethical Lens of the BACB Code:

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Ethical Code outlines guidelines for ethical conduct for behavior analysts. While the teenagers in this story are not behavior analysts, the BACB code provides a framework for ethical considerations:

• Principle 1: Welfare and Rights of Others: This principle emphasizes minimizing the risk of harm to others. The teenagers’ actions potentially violated this principle by causing injury to their classmate.
• Principle 2: Competence and Integrity: While not directly applicable here, this principle highlights the importance of behavior analysts having the necessary skills and knowledge to implement interventions ethically.

Potential Violation:

If the BACB code were applied to a hypothetical scenario where a behavior analyst encouraged or reinforced participation in such a dangerous challenge, it could be considered a violation of Principle 1: Welfare and Rights of Others.

Conclusion:

This news story highlights the potential dangers of social media trends and the importance of considering the ethical implications of our actions. The BACB Ethical Code serves as a valuable guide for behavior analysts in ensuring their practices promote the well-being of others.