Haunted Houses are one of the most popular events in October as people like to attend them leading up to Halloween. Some people like to be scared out of their minds while others get dragged there by their friends and family. Most haunted houses are just full of jump scares and heart-racing experiences but some places take it to the extreme and try to physically scare you by grabbing you or chasing you with weapons.
Haunted houses should not be allowed to physically scare you without consent or warnings set up outside the house. There have been multiple incidents in which participants of haunted houses have been injured due to the actors chasing them or touching them. People who get harmed in these incidents often try to sue the establishment but the victim rarely wins the case.
In a recent case in 2021, a boy from Ohio was stabbed in the foot after one of the actors wanted to scare the boy but instead of using a plastic knife he used a real one and stabbed the young boy in the foot. The actor was charged with negligent assault which is a 3rd degree misdemeanor charge. The actor was fired and faced legal charges as the boy’s mom was furious.
While many haunted houses have a “no-touching rule,” there are still many attractions that do not follow this rule and it could lead to serious injuries. The case of the boy being stabbed was just one of many examples of how haunted houses can get out of hand in a hurry. Having guidelines such as the “no-touching rule” for all haunted houses would help improve the outlook on haunted houses and help assure the safety of the participants in these events.
