NEW YORK — A flurry of online videos in which women recount incidents of being punched by strangers in seemingly random attacks in New York City have sparked fear and raised concerns over women’s safety. 

The unsettling trend first came to light on March 25 when 23-year-old fashion influencer Halley Kate Mcgookin posted a TikTok video in which she said she had been punched in the face while walking down the street in Manhattan.

Recounting the incident which occurred in broad daylight, Ms Mcgookin tearfully said: “I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh my god, it hurts so bad I can't even talk.”

Ms Mcgookin is seen with a large lump on the right side of her forehead in the now-viral video which has amassed over 50 million views as of Monday afternoon.

Sharing more details in subsequent videos, Ms Mcgookin explained that she had been looking down at her phone when a man walking a dog either punched or elbowed her in the head. The sudden blow caused her to fall to the ground and hit her head on the sidewalk.

Ms Mcgookin added that she sought medical attention and reported the attack to the police on the same day.

According to the New York Police Department, a 40-year-old man named Skiboky Stora was arrested and charged on March 27 in relation to the case, and investigations are ongoing.

UNPROVOKED ATTACKS

Since Ms Mcgookin’s video went viral, similar stories have surfaced, revealing an alarming spate of random, unprovoked assaults against women in the city.

Commenting on Ms Mcgookin’s post, one viewer shared: “This happened to me while waiting for the subway a few weeks ago! Literally unprompted just punched me in the head. Why are people doing this?”

Some people tagged other women who had shared accounts of similar assaults, such as Ms Olivia Brand who described being hit by an unknown assailant in a TikTok video on March 17.

“I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk. He goes ‘sorry’ and then punches me in the head,” she recounted. “What the hell is happening?”

Another TikToker, Mikayla Toninato, replied to Ms Mcgookin’s video saying she had also been randomly punched while walking home from class.

The 27-year-old design student, who is seen with a bruised eye, said: “I was looking at my phone and texting and out of nowhere, this man just came up and hit me in the face. I’m actually in shock right now.”

Ms Toninato then shared in a follow-up video that she was found to have a concussion and a chipped tooth after visiting the emergency room.

Ms Toninato’s attacker was reportedly arrested for punching a 53-year-old woman in Brooklyn the day after he assaulted Ms Toninato. The man identified as Mallik Miah was later charged with the attack on Ms Toninato and released without bail, the New York Daily News reported.

PUNCHTOK

Over the week, dozens of women have taken to TikTok to share their own stories of such assaults, giving rise to the term “Punchtok”, a portmanteau of the words punch and TikTok.

Videos of women describing their alleged attacks have garnered over 70 million views on the video-sharing platform, according to the Washington Post.

In addition to Ms Mcgookin and Ms Toninato’s cases, New York police said that they are investigating at least five more incidents of women being punched, all of which were subsequently posted about online. Police do not believe any of the attacks are related, television station ABC7 Chicago reported.

Although the issue has gone viral recently, many online users believe that the attacks are nothing new, with some women sharing experiences that date back years.

Speaking to news channel CNN, 19-year-old college student Ellio Wagner said that many other women had left her messages and comments saying that they went through the same thing after she posted a video in September last year detailing her attack.

Ms Wagner said she was walking alone along Sixth Avenue at about 6am when a random man punched her in the face and ran off.

Following the wave of punching incidents being reported, many women have expressed fear of walking the streets of New York alone. Some have posted videos online reminding women to keep their “heads on a swivel” and remain "hyper aware" of their surroundings while getting around.

Comedian Sarah Harvard, 30, who posted on Instagram about being hit on the back of her head on March 19, told digital lifestyle magazine The Cut that she has started carrying around pepper spray and is looking to get a taser.

Since the assault, Ms Harvard said she has experienced panic attacks prior to leaving the house and is now seeking the company of friends to accompany her during walks.