Child identifies as a wolf ... WTF?

This thread is so funny. I am dying.

Thanks for your concern. I feel like we might be coming from different viewpoints 👍

I feel like you might be somewhat disconnected from the levels of support available for ND children. If they are not actively suicidal, there is nothing.
Frankly I will worry about "furries" once all the bog standard depressed, anxious, self harming and ND children have been catered for.

Well, if I can identify as a male surely I could also identify as a dog or a cat? My brother actually thought he was a cat when he was younger. In the future we'll probably find a support group for catpeople as well with the NHS having to finance furgrowing etc. It's a crazy world.

I'd like to identify as a panda. Sit on my arse all day looking cute and eating, not bamboo of course as that's boring and I don't have the teeth for it. The lack of sex also appeals to me.

Oh ffs, why is any school enabling this shit?

There were some teens at my college that did this with the howling, the 4 of them wore tails on the backs of their pants and skirts. We were all aged about 17, they were bullied (the one time for bullying I did understand) and people thought it was weird as all hell. I'm going to assume as the now 30 odd olds we are that they've grown out of it.

Isn’t that something to do with dogging?

Thankfully there aren't too many people getting otherkin-affirming (therian- or furry-affirming) surgeries, so on the one hand you're absolutely right to say I'm conflating it all. I'll take that one on the chin.
That said, there are people who do change their bodies to match their animal identity, so it's not unheard of.

The reason I've joined it together though is because the safeguarding risk has the same root cause:
children find themselves being pulled towards a belief that they are in the wrong body, often via gaming communities, anime or similar. And in these communities the whole lot is conflated - all are valid identities. And unfortunately the kink side of things is very close to the surface.

how do you propose that happens?
The protection should be the same as for gender questioning children: the new KCSIE guidance, the Gender Questioning Children guidance (as a general principle about not affirming) and via EHCPs to help any autistic children who might be struggling with body disassociation (occupational therapy) or processing how the language of the species/gender belief can be understood in the context of biological reality (speech and language therapy).

I understand more about how the medical scandal around gender transitioning children unfolded and the factors involved. (Adults justifying their own bad choices; doctors trying to make a name for themselves being "cutting edge"; stupid academic rows and the government being more tolerant of off-label treatments)
I can't see any of those factors in place around "species identity" even if one accepts the premise that children identify as animals and want to medically transition. So I was just trying to understand more about where your concerns originate from.

There's no audio there. It's here.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12209919/amp/Full-audio-Student-rejected-classmates-claim-shes-CAT-scolded-teacher.html

The audio also doesn't appear to suggest that any student actually identified as a cat - despite what the DM says. It appears to be a row about children suggesting trans people are mentally ill.

The school said they have no children identifying as animals.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23609491.rye-college-denies-pupils-identify-animals-cat-gender-row/

The school was subject to an OFSTED but as far as I can tell nothing further happened - suggesting a social media click bait frenzy rather than any actual child identifying as an animal.

It really doesn't help move sex based rights forward if people are promoting dubious "facts" like this. It makes women with concerns look a bit silly.

Because gender identity and species identity are both ideologies which should not be given credence. We have seen now where encouraging gender identity is leading - mermaids/stonewall/puberty blockers/surgery on children/mental heath issues - and what's to say that encouraging children to identify as an animal won't have similarly devastated consequences?

Just because you can't go on a waiting list for a 'tail' now, doesn't mean that a child won't self-harm or become clinically depressed (or worse) because they are being denied the tail they think they need to be 'whole'. I mean, yes that's extreme but SO IS CUTTING OFF YOUR WILLY AND THAT HAPPENS

Ok you don't believe it's happening.
You can believe that all you like but I can tell you it is and I know kids who are doing it.

But, no, it's not happening. 🙄

Imagine at play time....they're playing what's the time Mr.Wolf?
and he eats them for dinner 🤣🤣🤣 I'm sorry but all these nonsense of identity is just going too far, other day I saw a reel on Instagram a grown man dressed as a turtle crossing the road, hold the traffic as he was going very slowly 😩

Children who come to believe that they have a gender or species identity that is separate from their body are at risk of the medical scandal that we will see unfold very publicly over the next decade and more.

Why have you conflated gender identity (where I agree there is a medical scandal) with species identity (where there doesn't appear to be)? Who do you believe is behind the "species identity" brewing scandal and why? Who are you thinking children need safeguarding from in this potential "species identity scandal" and how do you propose that happens?

The narcissists prayer?

'That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it.'

Is this where we move from "it's not happening" to "well, if it is it's not often"?

I can't remember the words but I think you'll know the one I mean?

Obviously having an actual recording does somewhat force us on from the first stage 😁

I agree.

Your comment may get removed though, mine did when it was a they/them mentalness.

And it will be until you encounter it yourself. Like any emerging madness, it's niche untill it isn't.

People had 'heard' about kids that thought Andrew Tate was the next best thing - it was all just a rumour till it was their son spouting his misogynistic drivel.

I'd 'heard' and then my very non-gossipy make neighbour told me the story that I've posted above. And if it carries on unchecked, no doubt I will come across it in due course. And so will you.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/teacher-despicable-student-classmate-cat/

Actual audio of a child being reprimanded for failing to respect another child's 'cat identity'.

Two years ago while driving up to Inverness, DH got too tired to make it to our planned stop so we parked our motorhome in a forestry commission car park so he could have a sleep. I woke him an hour later as I was so worried about the noises I could hear. Dh listens and reckons its bucks or stags. I said it definitely wasn't. He goes out to have a look despite my begging him not to. Comes back in a hurry and said there were four people in the bushes a little way off getting up to all sorts in furry suits with animal masks. We couldn't get out there fast enough! We laughed about it but I didn't find it funny really, it made me feel sick.

It's always "I've heard" isn't it...

Exactly

I have picked my battle 👍

Children who come to believe that they have a gender or species identity that is separate from their body are at risk of the medical scandal that we will see unfold very publicly over the next decade and more.

Unfortunately thousands of children and young adults have gone on to a pathway of irreversible physical harm, many of whom are autistic, looked after or vulnerable in other ways. Sadly, many adults saw it as harmless when they first entered this affirmation pathway, either thinking they would grow out of it or that it really was their true authentic self.

The battle I have chosen is to push back against it and do what I can to help safeguard children. Lots of other people have also chosen this battle.