Copyright euroweeklynews
A serious incident at a school in Denia, Alicante, has sparked concern among parents and teachers after an 11-year-old pupil lost consciousness during what is believed to be a dangerous TikTok challenge. According to local station COPE Denia, the incident took place on Thursday October 30 during the lunch break. The boy was reportedly playing in the playground when another student grabbed him from behind and applied a choking manoeuvre known as the “mataleón”. The “mataleón” is a chokehold technique commonly associated with martial arts like ju-jitsu, in which pressure is applied to the neck from behind, cutting off blood flow and causing the person to lose consciousness within seconds. The mother of the injured child told the radio station that her son “could have died”, stressing the severity of what took place. The boy may need surgical intervention As a result of the attack, the boy suffered a fractured chin, required stitches on his lip, and sustained another injury that may need surgical intervention. He has been unable to attend school for a week and is now worried about missing exams during his final year of primary school. The family has criticised the school for failing to call emergency services. The mother alleges that when she arrived at the centre, she found her son lying on the ground and had to take him to hospital herself. She claims other children sought help from a lunchtime supervisor, who “ignored the situation instead of helping”. Due to what they describe as a lack of action by the school, the family has announced that they will file an official complaint “to clarify what happened and determine responsibilities”. The case highlights growing concerns about dangerous viral challenges circulating on social media platforms such as TikTok, which are increasingly influencing behaviour among young students and can lead to serious — and preventable — risks. Beyond the incident itself, the case raises a wider question: are these dangerous behaviours driven by viral platforms like TikTok, by the normalisation of chokehold techniques from martial arts such as jiu-jitsu, or by a general increase in exposure to violence in children’s everyday lives? Experts warn that minors are increasingly consuming unfiltered content online, where violent actions are portrayed as challenges, games or entertainment. Combined with a lack of awareness about real-world consequences, these influences can create a dangerous mix in school environments, where imitation replaces judgement and social pressure overrides common sense.
