11 year old belly button piercing

Apparently the minimum age is specified by the licence of the shop set by the council, many specify 16 except ear lobes but not all

Amazed at the poster who thinks a tummy-button piercing is not a sexualised signal!

What on earth else is it? It says "Look at my stomach" and this invitation is extended to any pervy individual who happens to be around. It's not the same as a child wearing a crop top (though I personally hate them) or a t-shirt which rides up.

Are they really suggesting that bare stomachs or 'teasing glimpses' of same are not meant to be sexy? On another planet, maybe, but this is taking disingenuousness to new levels.

Where are all these piercers willing to pierce children?
I have quite a few piercings and, over the years, have been to several piercers in different parts of the country. None would do navel, septum, nose or cartilage piercings on anyone under 14. Even then, as I said above, written parental permission is required and a parent has to accompany the child and have valid photo ID.
My DD had her septum pierced at 15. I only agreed to take her because she was adamant that she would go herself whenever she turned 16 and would have to go to the cheapest place she could find. So I took her to a reputable piercing studio that I knew would be clean, have appropriate equipment and jewellery and a skilled, experienced piercer.

I had my belly button pierced at 12, I never had any unwanted attention, and certainly didn’t view the piercing as one that made me ‘sexualised’. I only wore shorter tops occasionally too, I simply wanted the piercing and i’ve had no ill effects. My mother came with me to get it done!

They have tons of time to be grown ups and do what they want. They should be kids for as long as possible.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast Okay forget safer from being taken/abused then. Just leered at and perved over.

Not naive, I just don't believe that stopping a child wearing a crop top makes them any safer 🤷‍♀️

This is in America. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Lemieux7 I’ve never heard of tattoos at 12, and no reputable shop locally would do that. It’s so inappropriate. Growth would distort the sit e considerably.

Yes I know. We'll have to agree to disagree, just as 1000s already do on this topic.
Women should be allowed to walk alone in the dark at 2am, doesn't mean I do it. Kids should be free to play out in all areas without parents. Doesn't mean they do it. The world is full of sickos. Maybe you're lucky enough to have never had your bubble of naivety burst.

Your train of thought is verging on victim blaming.

A predator will attack no matter what the victim is wearing. A kid in a crop top is no more likely to be attacked than one in a tracksuit 🤷‍♀️

@cinnamonfrenchtoast Nah sorry you're the disturbing one. I'm not sexualising them, I'm being protective of young girls because of the many, many perverted creeps out there who DO sexualise them.
Yes paedos will be attracted to a child no matter what they're wearing. But an exposed tummy and belly jewellery will catch their eye, and men who might not be paedos but perverted cretins who like teens will think they're older than they are.

No, just reality 😂

Kids around here live in shorts and crop tops. And that's what they look like - kids in crop tops.

If you think there's anything sexual about a kid in a short top then IMO that's incredibly disturbing 😬

Predators like children because they're children - what they're wearing (or not wearing) is absolutely irrelevant. They won't suddenly stop abusing children if they're covered up or "dressed appropriately" 🤷‍♀️

@cinnamonfrenchtoast You must live in a nice fantasy world.

I see a belly button ring as very grown up and 'sexy' - definitely not something a child should have. Feel the same way about belly tops on children, just no.

i know some in my DDs school (juniors) have it done. DD is 8 and not asked but 11 seems young to me. Tbf my Dd was totally traumatised by having her ears done they did it by a needle and it took 2 trips as she refused to get other one done after the first one been done ..says just going past the shop makes her ears “twitch “ 😂 she ll prob never get another piercing in get life.

It's not what we think that's the issue here. It's what perverts think.

Exactly this! you've articulated my concerns better than I could

This was meant as a reply to @onlynotafan

Piercings yes but not tattoos 😂

Far too young, in my opinion

@cinnamonfrenchtoast - yes and your probably part of the MN tribe that would allow their kids at 11 or 12 to come home with back street tattoos and piercings cause it's no big deal.

I think it says a lot about you that you think an 11yo kid in a crop top is in any way sexual

They're kids in clothes. That's it.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast that's what they will be seen as that's not what I see them as - I have 3 girls myself and keeping them appropriately clothed from prying eyed creeps is part of my job as a parent. When they are old enough to work and choose and buy their own clothing then that will be their own path to take.