that allowing your 12 year old to get a tattoo is wrong and irresponsible.

[almosthuman]

I regularly check my DD12 social media accounts and found that one of her school friends has a tattoo on the back of their neck. It is a real tattoo and her parents were the ones that arranged for her to have this done and were very pleased with it.

I do not believe that a 12 year old has the maturity needed to understand that a tattoo is a life time commitment and not something that can easily be removed. I think that her parents are irresponsible for allowing this to happen.

I have a tattoo's so am not against them, however, I was in my early thirties when I finally decided through several years of debate and research that I would like one.

This child is now in isolation at school as she has her tattoo on display which the school is unhappy about although not against any of their policies as children don't generally get tattoo's.

I do not have an issue with children expressing themselves with haircuts, make up, clothing etc, but I do have an issue with tattoo's at such a young age.

Totally out of order, that child will have to live with it for the rest of her life! I know many older people who regret tattoos, but if you over 18 deal with the choice you made!

DP's mother let the local landlord tattoo his leg when he was 13

stupid Parents like this do exist unfortunately.

I believe it. I know a dad who tattooed his 11 year old at home.

Said 11 year old is now 18, and has three year old twins and no qualifications - with parents who now work in the sex industry. SS have been very very involved and failed.

I'd be reporting this incident to SS.

Report this to the police. A criminal act has been committed against a child. If she was beaten up would you call them? This is no different. It is child abuse and the police will pass it on to the local sw team. Hopefully the tattooist will be closed down.

DD said that her friend was out of isolation but has to keep her tattoo covered after a meeting with the girls parents and the head. I have no idea if the school have reported it I assume that due to safe guarding that they would have contacted social services.

When I was 15 my friends mum took me and my friend to get a tattoo....looking back I am absolutely horrified that an adult enabled me to do that...letting your own child is one thing, but someone else's!?

I never told my parents that part, they just assumed I went with my friend I guess who looked a bit older..(not 18 though! And I certainly didn't look 18).

There was a bit of a trend at school of getting tattoos in our year. Now, as a parent, this scares the shit out of me!

My friend and I were from what you would class as normal middle class families and were nothing like the rougher type of girls (drinking, smoking, boyfriends and sex etc) that were also getting tatted.

Don't regret it as such but quite angry with friends mum now..

Slight aside, but why would someone need a tattoo for medical reasons?

Radiotherapy - the radiographer needs to 'aim' the treatment at the right place so they tatoo pin points.

A reconstructed breast (yes I know this would be highly unusual in a child) has a tattooed nipple.

In the day before DNA identical twins or triplets sometimes had a tiny dot tattooed on their bums to identify them.

There are probably other reasons

If this is true then it's likely that the 12 year would be in care at a top secret location at least 50 miles away. A school would be legally bound to refer the matter to the police/ social services.

I don't believe that a 12 year old can pass themselves off as 18. Today my son has his year 8 parents evening and none of the students looked 18.

I'm a doctor and have never once looked for a tattoo indicating a patient's medical condition. Medic alert bracelets yes.

I might notice something if it was tattooed on a patient's face but otherwise I find tattoos largely unnoticeable.

They are possibly of more interest to forensic pathologists, in cases where a body can't be identified.

A number of the kids at the secondary school where my friend work have tattoos, it's not uncommon in the area where the school is based. Sadly, lots of the kids they have much, MUCH bigger safeguarding issues going on than tattoos, so unless they're obviously visible (therefore breaking uniform rules), I don't think the school steps in. This is a good school, incidentally, but they have a lot to deal with.

Altinkum

Durr I'm being thick today aren't I?

So maybe they still do put dots on them? Although I believe most mothers can tell the difference.

Sorry, lots of typos in my post- was feeding a baby!

The long and short of it is, compared to the situations that a lot of children are in, getting a tattoo is not that big of a deal, sadly.

Not really medical, more cosmetic, but a young woman I knew had a port wine birth mark on her face tattooed over top of, to conceal it. I couldn't tell until we were outside one day in direct sunlight, where it looked like a yellow fading bruise, which isn't too bad at all considering the alternative. She told me she had to get it touched up from time to time.

That artist needs prosecuting.
no "good" artist would EVER tattoo someone under 18.

Is it definitely not one of those Jaguar ink tats?

BreakingDad77 no it is a real tattoo unfortunately

YANBU it's ridiculous not to mention illegal.

It's illegal but I think tattoos are just so common for some people it genuinely doesn't occur to them why it might not be a good idea.