Melbourne school students on notice over TikTok hottie videos

Students are rating their classmates and sharing lists of on-campus hotties in a series of alarming Tik Tok videos, prompting child safety concerns.

The alarming Tik Tok videos sweeping both Melbourne public and private schools have prompted concern from child safety experts.

Victorian school students are being warned of disciplinary and safety concerns amid a spate of TikTok videos asking about the “hottest students” on campus.

Students from a range of Melbourne state schools, including Taylor’s Lakes Secondary College, Manor Lakes Secondary College, Heathdale Christian College, Melbourne High, Melton Secondary College, University High and Northern Bay College have all posted interview clips.

Two private schools, Trinity Grammar and Siena College also have clips filmed by students which are publicly available.

Students ask who’s hottest, rate each other out of ten and ask who’s two-timing each other, who’s got crushes on each other and who’s the “hottest nationality”.

The Trinity Grammar students are asked a range of questions such as “Are you the gay best friend?”, “Are you trying to get with two girls at the same time?” and “Is it true all the MLC girls are frothing over you?” There are also questions about boys getting each other’s “sloppy seconds”.

The videos show students asking who the hottest people on campus are and who’s cheating on who.

In most of the clips the students’ first and last names are used and those they mention are also named in full.

At Siena College girls ask each other “Who is the hottest in the school” and those named are then interviewed themselves.

At Taylor’s Lakes it’s the “hottest nationality” and the “hottest person in the school”

At Manor Lakes it’s the “least favourite person”.

At Heathdale Christian College a couple is asked to rate each other out of ten and at Melbourne High students are asked who they are taking to the social.

At University High one student was asked about being “the fakest person in the school”

Cyber safety expert Susan Maclean said such clips “can potentially be very damaging and hurtful”.

“People can get nasty and feel excluded as they are not on the list. Those mentioned can feel bullied and harassed and it sets people up for broader bullying.

“Young people don’t understand that paedophiles love photos of children in school uniform which is very creepy and concerning.

“It’s very objectifying and a breach of most school policies,” she said.

Cyber safety expert and author Martine Oglethorpe said there were a number of concerns.

“Firstly, there is the safety concerns around filming in school uniform, making young people easily identifiable. Many schools also have their own guidelines around misuse of video and social media sharing on school grounds and in uniform,” she said.

“Aside from those concerns is describing young people as “hot” or best or worst looking. It worries me to think that young people are also continuing to perpetuate the idea that someone’s value lies in aesthetics only and how they look is open for comment and judgment by others,” Ms Oglethorpe said.

A Department of Education spokesman said “Victorian government schools have access to a range of resources that support students to engage with digital technology in a safe and responsible way.

“Where schools become aware that students are engaged in activities that are not respectful of others, appropriate action is taken,” he said.

Trinity Grammar and Tik Tok have been contacted for comment.