New York City's TikTok Puncher
Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Women have been the target of violence for as long as recorded history dates back. Despite deep improvements having been made, like women receiving more rights and power and a voice to share their stories (especially with the ever rising presence of social media), violence remains a major threat. One modern, and terrifying, example of this are the reports of young women getting punched in the face by random men on the sidewalk of NYC.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, crime in New York City has gone down significantly and he fears that social media is only “stoking fears” in the citizens of New York. However, despite misdemeanor assault actually being up 10.3% from this time last year, TikTok has been appearing to do the opposite, giving the women who faced this assault the ability to share their stories online, both warning other women to look out for their safety as well as getting online support from concerned commenters.
One example of these stories is influencer Halley Mcgookin (or Halley Kate as she is known online) going viral for describing an attack she went through on March 25th; she states that she simply looked down to reply to an email and was unaware of her surroundings for just a moment when a man approached her and punched her directly in the face, knocking her out. In response to this assault, the believed culprit, Skiboky Stora, was arrested on March 27. According to public records he ran for the District 9 seat on the NYC Council just last year. Despite there being multiple attacks all over the city, only two arrests have been made.
TikTok is not the only platform giving voices to these women; Caitlin Keith (25), for example, spoke to TODAY.com about how she was followed through the streets of SoHo by a man in his 20s who proceeded to punch her in the face. She states: “At one point I felt him start running, so I moved all of the way over to my right and he came up to me on the left, spit all over my face and back and punched me in the left side of the face.” 24 year old Ruby Zinner tells TODAY.com that she was in Tribeca when a man attempted to punch her face, though she dodged and he only caught the side of her face. However, he then turned around and punched the woman behind her directly in the face.
As aforementioned, there have only been two arrests made so far but it is unknown whether or not this includes all of the perpetrators. So, it is important to be aware and stay safe. The majority of the women assaulted explained that they were on their phones or looking down when attacked, so being aware of your surroundings and keeping a vigilant eye may help you remain unharmed.
Citations
TodayShow. “2 Arrests Made Related to Women Being Punched in the Streets of New
York.” TODAY.Com, www.today.com/news/news/women-punched-face-new
yorktiktok-trend-explained-rcna145191. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
