There’s a new trend making its way across social media video platform TikTok that is worrying parents all across the country and for good reason. The “Fire Truck Game,” as it’s called, is being spread among tweens and teenagers and it is causing quite a stir due to its sexual nature and pushing of acceptable boundaries for young people. Living in a technologically advanced culture has led to a far greater set of worries for parents who are just trying to keep kids safe and healthy.
According to a new report from FaithIt:
TikTok user @the.funny.nurse shared details of the “game” as told by her 11-year-old daughter in a now-viral video. Initiated by young boys, the “game” involves the boy placing their hand on a girl’s lower thigh. He informs her that he’s going to run his hand up her leg and when she starts to feel uncomfortable, all she has to do is say “red light.”
The catch is, when she says “red light,” the little boy will then say, “sorry, fire trucks don’t stop at red lights,” and proceed to finish running his hand up her body.
@thatgirlmindy #stitch with @Jin-Jin
Not only is this a disturbing “game,” it’s a huge violation of personal space and rights, it negates the word “no,” and it’s allowing our girls to be put into vulnerable situations where control over their body is taken away from them. Even worse than that, the game is encouraging sexual harassment.
Apparently the “Fire Truck Game” isn’t new, according to a few users in the comments of these videos, but it is, however, making a comeback. The “game” has been causing a great deal of discomfort for young women and clearly crosses the line into harassment. This is why it has become critical for parents to be aware of the trend and to instruct their children not to engage with it and to assert their personal boundaries clearly.
So how are people reacting to this foul and disturbing game?
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One user who responded in the comments said, “We’d be playing a game called Ambulance next.” I agree with this statement. If someone attempted to do this to my daughter, they’d likely be returning home from school in a full body traction suit. Some might say that’s not a very Christian way to handle the problem, but one of my God-given duties as a father is to protect my children and sometimes that means droppin’ some elbows.
“This was around when I was in jr high/hs (2015 grad),” another person responded. “My dad may or may not have have taken me to get ice cream after a punch was thrown. Allegedly…”
“We were getting credit carded back in the early 2000s,” recounted another user. “No warning.”
Here are a few things parents should consider when sitting down to talk to their kids about the “Fire Truck Game.” You want to make sure that your children feel safe with you and can share what’s going on in their lives, openly, so they can tell you about the things they encounter in life, especially things that make them feel uncomfortable.
It’s critical you teach your children about the importance of personal boundaries and respecting the space of others. Another major topic that needs to be discussed is peer pressure. And how giving into that sort of pressure can leave them with major regrets for the rest of their lives.