Dangerous challenges for children: lawmakers in the Rada propose fining parents and school principals

In the Verkhovna Rada a draft law No.15396 was registered, which proposes to introduce administrative liability for promoting, recruiting, or coercing students to participate in dangerous internet challenges and online games. The document was registered on 10 July 2026 and is currently being considered by a parliamentary committee.

For such actions it is proposed to establish a fine from 850 to 1700 hryvnias or 20 to 40 hours of community service.

When the violation is committed by a child who has not yet reached the age of administrative liability, the punishment may be applied to their parents or legal representatives. In other words, this is not about an automatic fine solely for a child’s participation in a challenge, but about cases when a minor promotes a dangerous trend, recruits others, or forces them to perform dangerous tasks.

School principals and other heads of educational institutions would be required to notify the police about identified cases of the spread of such trends. For failure to report or untimely reporting, school leaders would face a fine from 1700 to 3400 hryvnias or corrective labor for up to one month with a 20% deduction of wages.

It is proposed to allow employees of the National Police to draw up protocols on such administrative offenses.

The draft law also introduces the concept of a “destructive internet trend.” It is understood as a mass model of behavior that spreads through the internet and encourages children to actions dangerous to life, physical, or mental health.

This includes, in particular, simulated suffocation, performing dangerous stunts, consuming harmful substances, inflicting self-harm, or recording such actions on video for subsequent distribution on TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and other social networks.

The author of the initiative proposes to separate coercion to participate in dangerous internet trends from the concept of bullying, since current legislation does not cover all cases when children are induced to self-harm or other dangerous actions.

Together with draft law No.15396, draft law No.15395 was also registered in the Rada, which provides for changes to education legislation and measures for the psychological safety of participants in the educational process.

The proposed fines are not yet in effect. The draft law must go through committee review, a vote in the Verkhovna Rada, and the president’s signature.

Earlier we wrote:

• Children waited the entire semester: the lyceum in the Korabelnyi district explained why pupils were waving their hands to a TikTok trend
• “Six Seven” already in Korabelnyi: pupils are filming videos to a strange TikTok trend
• From TikTok to the police: pupils and parents were reminded about possible fines and criminal liability for cyberbullying
• Bullying disguised as a trend: a lyceum in the Mykolaiv region reacted to humiliating videos with teachers on TikTok
• Your children are in danger: a TikTok challenge with homemade firecrackers is maiming teenagers — police