: Organizations like Action for Personal Choice provide resources for parents and educators to talk to teens about these posts, emphasizing that rape is never acceptable or legal.
"National Rape Day" is a viral social media hoax that first surfaced in April 2021. It is characterized by claims that sexual assault is "legal" or "encouraged" on April 24th, a narrative that has been repeatedly debunked by researchers, law enforcement, and social media platforms. Overview of the Hoax RAPE DAY
: The trend began on TikTok in April 2021, coinciding with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It allegedly started from a video made by a group of men declaring April 24th as "National Rape Day". : Organizations like Action for Personal Choice provide
: The spread of such content can trigger severe trauma symptoms in survivors of sexual assault. Overview of the Hoax : The trend began
: While TikTok reported no evidence of the original video, the hashtag #April24 and related content amassed millions of views. Most of these were "response videos" from users sharing safety warnings or making threats against potential perpetrators, which inadvertently helped the hoax spread.
Despite being fake, the "holiday" causes significant real-world harm:
: Researchers at ISD Global label this "zombie misinformation" because it resurfaces nearly every April despite being thoroughly debunked. Impact and Social Harms