News of the Weird
Sack Tapping: Dangerous Game Hits Boys Where it Hurts
By Bob Hudson
Jun 10, 2010 - 2:58:18 PM

The latest game at schools hits boys where it hurts -- between the legs.In what urologists say is a growing phenomenon, adolescent boys are playing a game called sack tapping, in which the sole purpose is to strike someone in the testicles. The practice became national news after one victim, 14-year-old David Gibbons of Crosby, Minnesota, had to have his right testicle amputated from being sack tapped in the hallway between classes.

"They're not particularly hardy organs," said Dr. Steve Hodges, assistant professor of pediatric urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. "It doesn't take much force to compress them and cause rupture." Once that occurs, Hodges said, it takes only a few hours before the injury is irreparable and the testicle has to be removed. The same goes for more common injuries, such as twisting of the cord from which the testicle hangs.

Whether the teen boys are mutually participating in the testicle taps or it's a form of bullying, the results are generally not good. And adolescents are particularly prone to such risky behaviors, as their brains aren’t fully matured, and they are vulnerable to peer pressure and the desire to fit in. In fact, a study reported this month showed teen brains are wired for risk. The media's influence doesn't necessarily help. In 1998, the animated TV show South Park popularized the term "Roshambo," for a game in which two players take turns kicking each other in the groin until someone gives up, and groin shots were staples of the ABC show “ America's Funniest Home Videos.”  Come on , can’t we all just get along?