Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

That someone is using a made up law to stop me taking a photo of my child

999 replies

Spero · 13/03/2015 15:25

My daughter is in her first ever drama festival. She is very proud and nervous. I want to take a photo of her. I am told I cannot due to the 'Child protection Act'. I am a family lawyer. I have never heard of this Act. Nor has Google.

So the objection is not that I may disrupt proceedings with annoying camera but that the mere act of taking an photo of my own child is somehow a child protection issue.

I am angry - not so much that I can't take a photo of my precious first born, but for what this reveals about the sloppy muddleheaded approach we seem to have about what 'child protection' really means.

AIBU to be so cross? Am contemplating stern letter of complaint. Making up legislation really isn't on.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
LittleBairn · 13/03/2015 16:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

HighwayDragon · 13/03/2015 16:22

You will not be putting other children in danger by taking solo pictures of your dc but other parents might not be as cautious. If there is an at risk child taking part in the play then a blanket ban is the best way forward. Some children cannot be photographed, especially in a very identifying situation.

LittleBairn · 13/03/2015 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LadyTmalia · 13/03/2015 16:22

xiaozhu
Put a child's life in danger? By taking a photo? Oh FFS.

I can actually see a possibility where this could happen, its extremley unlikely, but not totally unkown.
If a voilent member of the family have been banned for knowing where child A is, and someone uploads a picture of child A onto the internet after the performance of blah from mrs blahs school of amazingness. and voilent person sees this photo and learns child A goes to that school and finds out what time they can get to Child A
Then yes, I totally see the danger.

Unlikely though and an impossible set of circumstances surely (pless forgive me if I am ignorant)

TeenAndTween · 13/03/2015 16:23

YANBU to be upset they have been inaccurate with the reason they have given you.

YABU if you cannot see the potential safeguarding issues. Personally I think you are being purposely obtuse and you understand them only too well.

  • They wish to prevent people taking photos of random children and posting them on social networking sites, giving the location of the photo.
  • This is so that children who's location need some protection can have the same experience of your child by taking part in the festival.
  • Photo recognition software is becoming cleverer and more available, so it is/will be easier to trawl through to find photos like one you have.
  • They may trust you as a lawyer not to do silly stuff, but they have chosen not to trust the all and sundry attending the festival, so have introduced the blanket rule as part of their child 'safeguarding' policy.
Chunderella · 13/03/2015 16:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RosesAreMyFavourite · 13/03/2015 16:24

They're not really making up a law, the Children and Families Act would cover child protection and a child who would be in danger if they were located by another person. A photograph by a random other person, either posted on facebook or shown to a mate in a pub, could put them at risk.

They should have said child protection laws or policy rather than Act which isn't correct.

But that's not Spero's point, she thinks she has a right to take a photo of her child in a show. Generally you don't do this even in an adult theatre.

IStopped · 13/03/2015 16:26

I get where you are coming from but I prefer it if no one takes photos during children's preformances. I'm not too fussed about the child protection aspect although I guess there must be a few situations where that comes into play. (..but I can't imagine it's very many)

The main reason I don't like phots being taken is that it's really, really irritating and you can't allow one person and not everyone else. It gets in the way of enjoying the performance. Videoing is even more irritating.

I also don't like people posting photos of my kids online. I don't do it myself so I don't see why other people should. The reason being is that my kids don't like it.

RachelWatts · 13/03/2015 16:29

I think YANBU, and I think the school is a bit daft to rely on frightening parents with non-existant legislation.

Anyone with a bit of knowledge about the law will no there is no such thing as the 'child protection act', and could conclude that the school therefore doesn't know what they're talking about and that there is no reason not to take pictures.

Far better for the school to state that it's for safeguarding reasons, or a child protection issue. Any reasonable person would be fine with this.

Cockbollocks · 13/03/2015 16:30

Jesus Christ, I don't think it is unreasonable to want to take a photo as a memory of an event that was important to your child.

This fear that by doing this I may or may not photograph a protected and in danger of serious harm child(because apparently every class and event has one) and then that I may or may not flypost my local area with high quality posters outing this child to the world.

it is clearly fucking ridiculous, and why if so many of these children are in these shows why are they not being protected specifically rather than with blanket bans.

RosesAreMyFavourite · 13/03/2015 16:33

Spero what kind of institution is this drama festival being held in?

Chunderella · 13/03/2015 16:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Spero · 13/03/2015 16:36

She did her bit and was very good. I am proud. But she has been nervous all day. It would have been nice for her to have a photo. As someone else said, on the stage when it was all over so I didn't distract anyone.

But I can't because by doing so I may put a child's life at risk?

Rubbish.

And interesting that no one can point me to the legislation that prohibits this.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spero · 13/03/2015 16:37

We are in the guildhall in bath and I am sharpening my green crayon as soon as we get home.

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 13/03/2015 16:43

Spero
Give 'em hell
YANBU

RosesAreMyFavourite · 13/03/2015 16:44

If it's a proper big stage it could be very distracting for children and they can fall off it. That's probably as much a reason as any. If they're all standing there blinking into lights looking out for Mummy in the audience it could well put them in danger.

Why can't you just accept that some people just have reasons and you have to respect that?

JacquesHammer · 13/03/2015 16:44

There isn't a Child Protection Act but there is much legislation you have to deal with to get a children's show on stage. This is usually each council's own legislation around child performers.

I also find it utterly mindblowing that anyone would think it appropriate to take photos in the middle of the performance.

We have a rule of no videoing/pictures in the auditorium. We video officially - get all parents to sign a disclaimer - and give these to the parents for cost (last year they were £3.00 each). We also take a photograph of each child on the stage alone and give it to the parents for free.

countessmarkyabitch · 13/03/2015 16:46

Why can't you just accept that some people just have reasons and you have to respect that?

Floggingmolly · 13/03/2015 16:48

Oh fgs spero, we've already established that it's not enshrined in law. Why can't you understand that it doesn't have to be; the Guildhall can and will enforce it anyway?

AGnu · 13/03/2015 16:50

But Spero don't you know that every time you take a photo you're destroying a piece of her soul? Shock

I remember you from Hemming-gate & am of the firm opinion that you can do anything you set your mind to. YANBU to point out that they can't go round making up laws. Surely there's a law to stop people doing that? False witness or sumfink?

dancestomyowntune · 13/03/2015 16:56

My children do dance festivals. They all have a "no photography" rule.

However, most these days have a professional photographer you can buy photos off of (some take during performance, some have a mobile studio they set up in a room away from the stage and dressing areas). Nobody has ever stopped photos being taken backstage/in areas away from the stage. We often take pictures in dressing rooms/corridors for the dance school website or just for something to do while the kids wait. Grin

Kewcumber · 13/03/2015 16:59

Am I allowed a little snigger that someone asked this...

"Your law firm has never dealt with child protection orders?"

Well Spero - have you ever dealt with at risk children or child protection orders, have ya? Have Ya?

I take your point.

Explain why you don't want photos taken don't make up bits of non-existent legislation. Interestingly our school has just relaxed the rules on photographs and videos and just ask that people don't put them on social media and that they will review the position if there's a child/parent unwilling to be photographed.

Collaborate · 13/03/2015 17:00

I'd be willing to place money on there being no child involved in the performance who is at risk if identified. Schools have blanket policies such as this in force when with a little more effort they can make the rules fit each situation/child.

straighttothepoint · 13/03/2015 17:01

This sort of thing came into being when my kids were younger, but we all took sneaky photos. I stress that we weren't putting the photos online at all and were for personal use only. No harm to anyone.

SoupDragon · 13/03/2015 17:03

Would you be happy for anyone in the audience to take a photo of your child? The reality of saying that you can take a photo of your own child is that it is difficult to stop people taking photos of any child they wish.

That said, they obviously shouldn't make up fake laws.