If you’re thinking of doing the Mugshot challenge, stop right there!
Recently, a new viral trend on TikTok called The Mugshot Challenge has surfaced, with many social media users and influencers participating in the challenge and posting their outcome on their feeds.
The Mugshot Challenge calls for users to take their own police-style mugshot, often using makeup to simulate bruises or blood. In doing so, upsetting visuals from the trend has invited much criticism and backlash from people calling out the trend as being inappropriate and insensitive, especially to victims of domestic violence and police brutality.
Women's Aid Organization (WAO) has recently released a statement labeling the trend as “harmful” and “massively problematic”.
According to WAO, the trend takes a jab at marginalized communities who are already subjected to racial profiling and police brutality, thus should not be condoned even if others are doing it.
It is “a poor attempt at creating awareness on domestic violence” as this challenge mocks survivors who have gone through or are going through life-threatening situations.
Some are also in support of the trend being in poor taste and have expressed their concerns.
Either way, let’s be mindful of others whenever we decide to do anything and think twice about the consequences of our actions.
By:Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
