‘Hot Water Challenge’ causes 9-year-old to suffer severe burns and police are urging parents to intervene
By Baylee Martin
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LANCASTER TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A 12-year-old boy in Lancaster Township participated in the viral “Hot Water Challenge,” causing his 9-year-old brother to suffer severe burns, prompting discussions on social media dangers.
Kirsten Johnson, a communications professor at Elizabethtown College, explained the peer pressure young people face to participate in such challenges.
“Even if they don’t think it’s a good idea to do it, they still think, ‘Well, everybody else is doing it, right? So why wouldn’t I get in on the action here and do this?'” Johnson said.
The “Hot Water Challenge” has been going viral online, getting millions of views. While some parents are aware, many are not.
Glenda Montanez is from Lancaster City and has a 16-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
“You throw hot water on someone who doesn’t expect it,” explained Montanez. “I’ve already had a conversation with my daughter about that, even though she’s not on social media, but she’s on YouTube.”
Johnson says there is a lot of peer pressure on young people.
“‘Oh, how many likes can I get? How many interactions can I get with the post?’ Because they see that as a way to get recognition from their peers.”
Mauricio Grossi was visiting Lancaster from Chicago for work. He has three children, his oldest also a 12-year-old boy.
Grossi expressed his concerns as a parent, noting the difficulty of keeping children unaware of social media.
“I feel like as a parent, you help mitigate it. As you know, they’re still getting exposed to all this stuff. I would say even more like inundated than exposed.”
Montanez emphasized the importance of open conversations with children about the reality of these challenges.
“They see it on social media, and I think they believe it’s OK to do, and because other people are doing it, they think it’s funny or it’s fun. But no, it’s actually the opposite. So yeah, it’s very important to have those conversations,” she said.
The Lancaster Township Police Department is investigating the case, and it has prompted a broader discussion on online safety. It has posted links to safety tips for parents using the “S.M.A.R.T” method, which stands for Set-up, Monitor, Approve, Restrict, and Talk.
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