AIBU to think schools shouldn't promote breast binding to 11 year old girls?

[OhHolyJesus]

Article in the Times today about a top grammar school.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/913e7f94-b038-11eb-b844-593e41a4a1a5?shareToken=96489378584664b8e46495232a22b86a

From the comments you can see the parents weren't aware.

posting alarmist, exaggerated stuff about binding rendering kids unable to even walk and enjoy the fresh air doesn't help the cause.

But you don’t disagree that young females wearing binders are, in fact, self-limiting their sports participation because of the extra needs due to wearing binders. So, in fact, they are causing some degree of harm and, in extreme heat, even their support charities say to not walk around in the heat.

I, personally, think that this is alarming behaviour. I know schools are not able to ban binders, however, this is surely where a newsletter such as this, needs to point out the realities of wearing a binder. Not just add links and expect the best outcome. And a teacher needed to approve this, so where was the safeguarding here.

So, a school allowing this newsletter to be sent is, by my reckoning, worth sounding the alarm about.

No one should promote breast binding.

in extreme heat, even their support charities say to not walk around in the heat.

That Mermaids link says not to exercise in a binder, full stop. Hot or cool weather. Not clear what they are classing as 'exercise', of course.

It would be nice if people could expend all this energy helping children and YP to come to terms with their healthy bodies, though, instead of trying to get them to do something that seems to be clearly harmful in a slightly less harmful way.

It would be nice if people could expend all this energy helping children and YP to come to terms with their healthy bodies, though, instead of trying to get them to do something that seems to be clearly harmful in a slightly less harmful way.

Yes. It would be superb to see people advocating for all bodies to be acceptable as they are. This is just another way body hatred to manifest itself.

@Washimal I recognise schools cannot actually stop them but they can issue strong guidance being very clear it's a harmful practice and treat any girl wearing one as a safeguarding concern. If one of those girls in your care collapsed who would be at fault?

I also think it's worrying you talk about "sides" of this debate. There are no "sides" when it comes to safeguarding. I recognise schools are in a difficult position but they need to be utterly unequivocal that they see breast binding as a safeguarding concern and it will be flagged appropriately.

Advice on how to breast bind safely - deforming the female body? Safely?

As far as many (perhaps most) 11 year old readers are concerned, a newletter prepared by sixth formers and sent out under the school's aegis, and a newsletter from the school staff are indistinguishable.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

As far as many (perhaps most) 11 year old readers are concerned, a newletter prepared by sixth formers and sent out under the school's aegis, and a newsletter from the school staff are indistinguishable.

I believe this news letter was part written by a member of staff and in part by sixth formers

Blimey, that's even worse than I thought.

part written by a member of staff

Oh, fab.

Full horror documented here

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/05/09/breast-binding-at-nonsuch-high/

Holy moly. How was that sent out? Surely the headteacher must be climbing the walls tonight!

[quote 2fallsagain]Full horror documented here

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2021/05/09/breast-binding-at-nonsuch-high/[/quote]
Bloody hell. I’ve got all sorts of issues with that being something sent to 11year olds. I see they were trying to be “responsible” by not providing health advice themselves but including links to sources of information instead but god above, the supervising teacher (and safeguarding lead, and then headteacher if they’ve doubled down in support) has got that so, so wrong.

Agree the doubling down is baffling, but not entirely sure what's going on with their safeguarding if responsible sex education = sending preteens to a site detailing chemsex and fisting ffs. We can all surely be open about the fact that this information is way more pertinent to gay men and even then, when it comes to chemsex, of concern to the gay community:

Buzzfeed did a series about this...

"Revealed: The Hidden Epidemic Of Abuse, Overdose, And Death Caused By The Sex Drug G"

www.buzzfeed.com/patrickstrudwick/sex-drug-ghb-abuse-overdose-death

Agree the doubling down is baffling, but not entirely sure what's going on with their safeguarding if responsible sex education = sending preteens to a site detailing chemsex and fisting ffs.

Well, quite.

Sorry if my post wasn’t clear! It seems the sixth form students got part of a message about responsible publishing (“don’t give health advice if not qualified”) but then no one followed up on the “which sites are responsible sources” or checked the links. Then defended the decision when challenged. Alarming all round.

The rest of the stuff about pansexual/bisexual/omnisexual was pretty dire too. I’m less clear about any of it after reading the explanation so I can’t imagine what 11 year olds would get from it.

It’s just poorly thought-through as a publishing project all round. As a propaganda exercise it’s interesting!

Hecate, thank you for that link. That was a sobering read. So many awful tales.

For other MNers, this is one of the less graphic.

The tornado effect of G addiction, flattening everything in the user’s life, was captured by multiple respondents. Craig, 23, charted how it brought him into sex work. “I started really doing GHB at 21, and from then it went on to ruin a lot for me, it makes you lose all inhibitions and changes your personality to an ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude. It ruined my relationship of four years as well as escalated to me losing my job from going out on benders 3–4 days long. I got myself into a lot of debt through loan sites.”

Broke, single, and unemployed, Craig became an escort. “I then used GHB in order to escort.” He’s now finally two months clean. “GHB,” he said, “is a very underestimated drug.”

No issue with your point NoSquirrels , it was a good one, just picked it up and ran with it.

If you thought the newsletter slipped out under the radar of an overburdened staff team, you were wrong. www.instagram.com/p/COprBEbBGio/
"Friends of Dorothy was sanctioned, proof read and approved by the Headteacher and the teacher in charge of the LGBTQ society".

@40gm

If you thought the newsletter slipped out under the radar of an overburdened staff team, you were wrong. www.instagram.com/p/COprBEbBGio/ "Friends of Dorothy was sanctioned, proof read and approved by the Headteacher and the teacher in charge of the LGBTQ society".

Bloody hell.

Also, as Nonsuch has such a “large LGBTQ+” community they might want to be paying a bit more attention to how/why that is.

@40gm

If you thought the newsletter slipped out under the radar of an overburdened staff team, you were wrong. www.instagram.com/p/COprBEbBGio/ "Friends of Dorothy was sanctioned, proof read and approved by the Headteacher and the teacher in charge of the LGBTQ society".

Wow - criticising parents as well?! That's bonkers.

I'm really disturbed at the proliferation of all these "LGBT societies" in schools, often instigated by teachers. Why the hell are teachers getting involved in teenagers' sexuality? These groups are presented as "progressive" and any criticism framed as "phobic", but I think these societies are a massive safeguarding risk and just a vehicle for activist teachers to push controversial gender ideology in schools yet again.

They’re actually sliding into criticising the school too - the last slide says “Nonsuch, please defend your LGBT+ youth”

I’m quite... surprised. Would’ve thought a social media policy applied...

Not sure if it's already been mentioned on this thread, but the definition of lesbian on the links provided is "lesbian means non-man attracted to non-men.” Actually unbelievable... and at an all-girls school.

Thanks for flagging that up. So any criticism of this material (which includes links to fisting, chemsex, etc, let's remember) is transphobia and "more than concerning"?! Wow.

@Sunkisses

I'm really disturbed at the proliferation of all these "LGBT societies" in schools, often instigated by teachers. Why the hell are teachers getting involved in teenagers' sexuality? These groups are presented as "progressive" and any criticism framed as "phobic", but I think these societies are a massive safeguarding risk and just a vehicle for activist teachers to push controversial gender ideology in schools yet again.

Fully agree with this comment. It really seems like some schools are no longer educational establishments at all and more like LGBT societies. Its disturbing.