Social media prank could lead to charges after teens allegedly damage homes

CTV National News: Police warning over pranks Police in B.C. are issuing a warning over a new social media trend. Kathy Le explains.

A well-known childhood prank known as "nicky nicky nine doors," or "ding dong ditch," has escalated into a more serious game that could lead to charges for some Surrey, B.C. teens.

Sgt. James Mason of the Surrey RCMP says the pranks have "devolved into cases of harassment and mischief," and multiple homes have been damaged.

"Within the last month, we've now seen an increase in behaviour during which kids are now kicking doors with such force that they’re leaving dents, or they're now compromising the integrity of the door in which they don't close properly," he said.

Mason says homeowners are left to foot the bill for the costly damages in addition to the stress that they’ve experienced. Some have reported that they thought they were part of a home invasion because of how violently the doors were being kicked in.

Some of the pranksters, all teenagers, have been identified and criminal charges are being considered.

"Kids just aren't recognizing the fallout or the repercussions of this," said Mason. "Consideration is being given in regards to charges of mischief."

Surrey RCMP say they believe teens are being influenced by a social media challenge called the "door kicking" challenge, most notably on TikTok.

There are compilations of this challenge on the platform showing people, mostly teenagers, forcibly kicking in the door of a house, in a school or other facilities. In some cases, the force of the kick is so strong, the door is busted open.

"I’d feel scared to death," says Barb Mulcahy, a homeowner in Calgary.

"I'd probably run out the back door and call 911 and tell them to get over here. And I'm not going back in that house till something is done."

Another homeowner believes if damages are done, charges are justified.

"Of course. I mean if it's done on purpose, sure they should be charged and held responsible for whatever they're doing, right?" said Moez Hirji.

Merlyna Lim, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University, says teenagers are engaging in these behaviours because they feel pressured.

"With the social media engagement, you don't have downtime and you have to deal with the fact that you need to seek that validation by conforming to certain behaviours that make them part of the group."

The door-kicking prank has happened in other parts of the country, including Port Dover and Cambridge, Ontario a few years ago.

And Moose Jaw Police Service in Saskatchewan recently put out a press release warning children about the serious consequences of playing doorbell pranks, saying "if adolescents are found committing this action, officers may give a warning, but serious consequences could occur for repeat offences, such as being criminally charged."

"The police are certainly wanting to stop the trend," said Doug King, professor of criminal justice studies at Mount Royal University.

"But what they're also thinking is if we don't stop this trend, people in their homes are going to take action to stop the trend."

While there’s been no reports of physical retaliation from residents in Surrey, in February, two teens were struck by a truck in Abbotsford, B.C., after allegedly engaging in a door knock prank. Police say the driver could be facing charges.

Mason says it’s best to call the non-emergency line.

"Don’t engage. When engaging with youth, they’re running scared and you might be angry and judgements will likely get the best of you in which someone might get hurt and we don’t want to see these escalate," he said.

Mason says he is urging parents to talk to their teens about respecting other people’s properties.