KIMBERLEY KIDS GO VIRAL ON TIKTOK FOR THE RIGHT REASONS
A still from a TikTok video from the @aywhatnow account.
Kids in the Kimberley are going viral on TikTok for teaching other youth about their legal rights.
The project ‘Ay! What Now?’ is led by Legal Aid WA’s First Nations staff and creates content to counteract the negative influence of the social media platform.
Michelle Sims. Credit: Supplied, Legal Aid WA.
Legal Aids WA’s First Nations Services Coordinator Michelle Sims said past social media challenges had encouraged kids to film footage of themselves committing crimes which could later be used as evidence in court.
In the new videos, young people shared facts about issues such as the age of criminal responsibility, and practical advice on how to avoid peer pressure when it comes to committing crime.
Ms Sims said videos made as part of the new campaign had been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on TikTok and delivered a sense of pride to the community.
“A lot of the time when we’re dealing with young people, they don’t actually know what the consequences might be of offenses,” she said.
“It’s just really exciting for us to get in there and do something new, reach the kids where they’re at, work with the kids so they have a sense of ownership over the project, and hopefully make some really positive outcomes.”