Schools across Northern Virginia are alerting parents to a new social media trend that prompts students to vandalize school property.

Opening the TikTok social media app and searching for the word “sneaky” brings up thousands of videos of a trend called “sneaky licks”. Students record TikTok videos of themselves vandalizing bathrooms or stealing property from schools and sharing them online.

“I heard that a kid took out a trash can and nobody said anything,” said Nathan Perkins, parent of a student at Rocky Run Middle School.

The trend “presents a challenge to maintaining a healthy and safe school environment” and will have disciplinary consequences, Rocky Run Middle School principal Amy Goodloe said in a letter to parents.

The parent of a high school student in Lake Braddock sent News4 a photo of what appeared to be missing hand soap dispensers in a school bathroom.

One of the main targets of the trend seems to be soap and hand sanitizer.

The principal of Lake Braddock High School sent a letter to parents this week saying staff will increase supervision of all washrooms in the school and even close some washrooms during transitions and lunches.

“[I’ve had] long conversations with my two daughters saying, you know, number one:
it’s theft, destruction of property, “said a Fairfax County mother who did not want to be named.

The trend isn’t just happening in Fairfax County. Prince William County Public Schools have reported a few incidents that may be related. Arlington Public Schools had a few, as did North Stafford High School.

“Just because you see people doing it and they have those few seconds of fame on TikTok, that doesn’t mean anything,” said the Fairfax County mom.