Online Challenges: Federal Council calls for more protection for minors

Young people choking each other until they faint in front of the camera. Children competing to see who can use a hairdryer on their own skin for longer. Such challenges have been circulating on social media for years and encourage participation, especially on TikTok.

“Everyone has seen such challenges at home,” Sara Midžan is convinced. She goes to the high school at Löhrtor in Siegen and trained as media scouts with her friend Sophie Meyer. The two report on a classmate who ate an extremely spicy tortilla chip as part of the “Hot Chip Challenge.” "He fainted and the ambulance had to come," they say.

There are no nationwide figures, but self-damaging challenges often have fatal consequences. In 2024, a 13-year-old died in northern Hesse after taking part in the so-called “strangling challenge”.

Federal Council calls for new criminal offense

So far this year, three cases have been reported in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in which young people are said to have injured themselves or others during such tests of courage. This is reported by Justice Minister Jacqueline Bernhardt (Left). She calls for criminal law to be tightened: "Anyone who encourages minors to engage in self-harming behavior using digital media should be prosecuted."

The Federal Council has now decided on a corresponding initiative from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony. He calls for punishments for adults who use the Internet to build trust in children and young people and manipulate their perception of danger in order to ultimately cause them to harm themselves.

Challenges are also explicitly mentioned in the decision: "Anyone who addresses a challenge with a thousand-fold reach to children [...] generally remains unpunished as long as neither deception nor coercion can be proven in the individual case." The legislature needs to tighten things up here.

Model of sexual criminal law

A model for the proposed approach can already be found in criminal law: In the case of child sexual abuse, even initiating it via the Internet is punishable. A similar approach should be taken when inciting self-harm. A law would have to specify when exactly one can speak of “tempting”.

The federal government is now called upon to do this. The responsible Ministry of Justice did not want to comment when asked.

Expert warns against “symbolic politics”

Media scientist Lara Kobilke from the University of Zurich warns against “symbolic politics.” There are certainly adult instigators who want to drive others to suicide. But it is often the young people themselves who share such content with each other.

They are particularly receptive to challenges. In adolescence, the reward system is particularly receptive to recognition, and self-control only matures later: "Adolescents can step on the accelerator, but the brake is not yet fully functioning."

Kobilke emphasizes that tests of courage are part of development and are not generally bad. Most of the challenges are creative, funny and unproblematic. However, according to Kobilke's research, "15 to 30 percent of challenges are potentially hurtful." Prevention is more effective than tightening criminal laws, says Kobilke, starting with the parents' home: seek conversation, listen without rolling your eyes.

Focus on prevention

The high school at Löhrtor in Siegen also focuses on prevention. In workshops, Sara Midžan and Sophie Meyer work with their younger classmates to raise awareness of the dangers of challenges. They should learn to withstand peer pressure - and to hit the brakes in good time.