New Trend Update
We have been alerted by the Darlington Internet Safety Partnership that a new trend is doing the rounds on Tik-Tok - do it yourself Stick and Poke tattoos and young people in Darlington are already copying it.
Stick and Poke involves giving yourself or friends homemade tattoos using a needle/pin and in most cases normal pen ink. I’m sure you can all guess the risks this may pose such as infections and being stuck with a badly done tattoo. One colleague has already seen the result of one girl's attempts on her hand that has caused a great deal of concern and distress.
I’m afraid it is nothing new in regard to homemade tattoos but as it’s trending on TikTok the possibility of children and young people copying it are fairly high.
We recommend keeping your eyes and ears open and have appropriate discussions with any children and young people talking about Stick and Poke tattoos around the risks and dangers.