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Original poster

‘Catching print’ trend humiliating DS - contact college or let it go for now??

113 replies

DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:16

DS, 17, is feeling upset by this ‘catching print’ trend. Some might already know about it but on TikTok over the last few weeks there’s been a trend where women can estimate a male’s ‘size’ based on the print on the trousers. When this trend was brought to my attention by DD, 14, last week I thought nothing of it as it was just on TikTok at the time.

Apparently since going back to college on Monday, some girls are using this trend to mock boys and DS feels judged by it. He told me that in a group task, whenever he tried to contribute, the girls were saying things like ‘shut it A print’ and he and another boy felt quite humiliated.

At first I thought it was just a silly trend that will fade in no time (and I still do think that) but today DD had a friend over and I overheard the friend say ‘Your brother is an A print’ whilst laughing. I thought that was really rude and inappropriate. DD, told me that on TikTok people were saying it’s about making them feel as uncomfortable as they make women and it’s levelling the playing field. I do understand the argument in theory, but I don’t like the idea of DS feeling judged and embarrassed in college over something like this.

Part of me thinks it’s just a passing trend and will die out in a week or two, but part of me feels it’s crossing into bullying.

Would it be best to contact the college about DS’ bullying or just let it pass? At the moment that’s what I’ve told DS that will just pass after a few days or weeks.

OP posts:
PomplaMouse · 15/04/2026 18:58

Dollymylove · 15/04/2026 18:57

Get your child off tiktok thats a start

Show quote history

What makes you think her child is on TikTok?

PoeticEnding · 15/04/2026 18:58

I would inform the college (rather than complain) , they should take all forms of harassment seriously, even against boys. They can let teachers know to be on alert and use the I.T. systems to search for online harassment given appropriate search terms. Of course your son will try to deal with this himself as well. But we can all do with some backup as well, adult or not.

Dollymylove · 15/04/2026 18:57

DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:33

@Itsthenameisntit It came from TikTok so no it’s not a college thing, I was just wondering whether they’d be able to have a word with the girls doing this.

Get your child off tiktok thats a start

Pricelessadvice · 15/04/2026 18:54

Would your DS really want his mum getting involved? He’s 17.
Id have been mortified if my mum had contacted sixth form when I was that age.

Can he not deal with it himself?

Itsthenameisntit · 15/04/2026 18:54

VeraWang · 15/04/2026 18:53

So what have you said to your daughter's friend OP?

exactly

yes go to the college

but maybe also address the comments under your own roof!

VeraWang · 15/04/2026 18:53

So what have you said to your daughter's friend OP?

AmyDudley · 15/04/2026 18:52

Blimms · 15/04/2026 18:42

So a child who doesn’t go to the college said this about your son and you’re wondering wether to complain to the college?

No, read the OP more carefully.

OP - I would certainly have a word with the college, sexual harrassment is completely unacceptable whether it is boys or girls who are the victims The argument that 'men have been doing it for years so now lets single out some totally innocent young lads to sexually harrass' is phenomenally stupid (and I grew up in the 70s where we had to put up with a huge amoount of sexual harrasment with very little recourse for dealing with the perpetrators, but no way do I want to see any other human being subjected to the same treatment - male or female; bad behaviour is bad behaviour who ever it is directed at)

You don;t even need to be specific about them saying it to your son, you can be quite general as obviously several boys are being targetted, and it is bullying and harrassment and the college needs to stamp it out.

As for your DD's friend, I would tell her not to be so rude and unpleasant in your home or she won't be coming round again, and I'd ask her if she'd like it if people were making similar comments about her body.

AmethystDeceiver · 15/04/2026 18:52

DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:33

@Itsthenameisntit It came from TikTok so no it’s not a college thing, I was just wondering whether they’d be able to have a word with the girls doing this.

They will, and it's not at all inappropriate for you to advocate for you son in this way (with his consent).

Itsthenameisntit · 15/04/2026 18:51

It happened under your roof when you heard the friend say it about DS… and just like the college, you didn’t say anything!

AmethystDeceiver · 15/04/2026 18:51

HelenJK2 · 15/04/2026 18:17

He’s 17 - he won’t want mummy running to College! How embarrassing

This is wrong advice. I work in a college - we would want to know about sexual harassment. Speak to you son, if he can advocate for himself now, great. If he can't, let him know that you can

TeenageRooster · 15/04/2026 18:48

Yes I'd contact the college. Lots of posters have jumped on the comment made in your house, but you first talked about this happening during a group task in class and affecting another boy too. The teaching staff need to know to look out for this.

As for all the 'he's 17, leave it to him' posts, they contrast with a lot of threads where posters are urged to wade in on behalf of their 18+ and even twentysomething kids. He's not a legal adult. It's fine for a parent to help him tackle this.

fashionqueen0123 · 15/04/2026 18:48

I wouldn't expect a 17 year old boy to take much notice of his little sister and friend over silly stuff like this.

Strawberrryfields · 15/04/2026 18:45

@Balloonhearts @Blimms its happened at college too while taking part in a group task. The trend isn’t exclusive to college but they should still address it. It’s pretty common for social media trends to spill into schools and colleges these days and when they’re inappropriate schools/ colleges need to act.

JehovasFitness · 15/04/2026 18:45

At 17 this has got nothing to do with you.

If somebody needs to intervene, it’s him.

Original poster
DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:45

@Balloonhearts DD never said anything about her brother, it was her friend. I did ask DD if she’d been saying anything to boys at her school and she said no.

OP posts:
VeraWang · 15/04/2026 18:44

DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:33

@Itsthenameisntit It came from TikTok so no it’s not a college thing, I was just wondering whether they’d be able to have a word with the girls doing this.

And did you have a word with your daughter's friend?

Did she apologise?

Did your DD say something like "Stop talking about my brother's penis, you're disgusting"?

If he's not getting support at home, I'm not sure why you'd expect it from college.

Shitmonger · 15/04/2026 18:44

I haven’t heard of this. Sounds like it reverses the nastiness that teenage boys hurl at girls: “Shut up, A cup.” “No one cares what an A cup thinks.” “No one wants an A cup.” And on and on.

Giving the benefit of the doubt on this, as it is very… unusual for a 14 year-old to comment on her friend’s brother’s penis size… I think contacting the college would embarrass him further.

Original poster
DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:43

@365RubyRed This was another angle I was going to discuss with DS and when DD told me about it last week this is what she told me it was in part about.

OP posts:
Blimms · 15/04/2026 18:42

So a child who doesn’t go to the college said this about your son and you’re wondering wether to complain to the college?

Balloonhearts · 15/04/2026 18:41

Then it has nothing to do with the college. It's happening in your house so why didn't you tell the girl to leave, that she wasn't welcome in your house until she grows up, then punish your DD.

She's your daughter, it's your job to raise her not to be so damn nasty.

Strawberrryfields · 15/04/2026 18:41

Gross. Yes contact them, totally unacceptable to comment on someone’s genitals. Nasty behaviour.

365RubyRed · 15/04/2026 18:40

I wouldn't do anything. It's a silly trend that will be forgotten by this time next week. If you make a big deal of it, your son will feel even more humiliated. Women and girls have had to put up with comments about breast size, or lack of it, for decades, and this is just treating men and boys to the same derogatory comments. Ignore it.

Serencwtch · 15/04/2026 18:38

That's grim - more to the point it's sexual harassment.

I would definitely be talking to the college about it.

Itsthenameisntit · 15/04/2026 18:35

DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:33

@Itsthenameisntit It came from TikTok so no it’s not a college thing, I was just wondering whether they’d be able to have a word with the girls doing this.

But it’s not just those girls is it?

By coincidence… your daughter’s friends are also saying it about your son.

Original poster
DandyPeer · 15/04/2026 18:33

@Itsthenameisntit It came from TikTok so no it’s not a college thing, I was just wondering whether they’d be able to have a word with the girls doing this.

OP posts: