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Original poster

Ear piercing without consent at Meadowhall in Sheffield (might be triggering)

335 replies

PoetryLaser · 20/10/2021 09:53

I'm amazed that I can't find another thread on this – and I know I'm not being unreasonable to find this video incredibly upsetting. Poor child, perhaps six or seven being pinned to the floor while having her ears pierced in a jewellery store at the Meadowhall in Sheffield, screaming her head off saying "no no no".
Should ear piercing be banned for say under 12s, until they're old enough to consent?
Warning - the video is very distressing to watch: twitter.com/mrscjos/status/1450020437744885761?s=10

OP posts:
Bagelsandbrie · 20/10/2021 09:55

I’ve seen this. It’s absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking.

Staff should be sacked and staff and those involved investigated for child cruelty.

Shop should be shut down.

This should never happen. Ear piercing should only happen when a child is old enough to give valid consent and take care of their ears themselves - I think about 12/13 as a minimum.

As a side not piercing with a gun should be banned anyway. Needle is always better, less scarring and less risk of infection.

SoniaFouler · 20/10/2021 09:56

Well, whose benefit was that for as the girl clearly didn’t want (or changed her mind about getting) her ears pierced. Never mind, at least mother and grandmother got what they wanted..

WhatsUpDucky · 20/10/2021 09:57

Bloody hell, that's appalling
We are telling young children that their bodies are their own and to speak up if they are uncomfortable...... Then this????
Wrong on every level

Bagelsandbrie · 20/10/2021 09:57

I actually wanted to complain openly on the stores Facebook page but there’s nowhere to do that.

I have complained about Claire’s before after witnessing something similar.

VainAbigail · 20/10/2021 09:58

Jeezus. If anyone on here is the staff in the video or the fucking MOTHER, you are a bunch of twats.

DandyHighwayWoman · 20/10/2021 09:58

All those involved, family and shop workers should be prosecuted.

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 20/10/2021 09:58

That is absolutely disgusting. There is no excuse. The second the child said no they should have stopped

dementedpixie · 20/10/2021 09:59

Just awful
No need for ear piercing if the child doesn't want it and to actually go ahead with it while the child is screaming is abusive

clockover · 20/10/2021 09:59

Surely that's criminal?

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 20/10/2021 10:00

I haven't watched the video: don't think I want to see this. But I've long believed gun-piercing should be illegal in any case.

People believe these guns are 'safe' because they're generally accepted as the norm. Operators tout the safety of their practices by suggesting that the stud is the only thing that touches the ear.

In fact, they're forcing a blunt instrument through dry flesh, there will be detritus from that impact which will collect on the gun, and the guns are plastic and can't be autoclaved (the only safe method of sterilization). Those studs with the sharp backs and large plate-like fastenings - unlike a ring which goes straight through and can be easily cleaned - are prime fodder for gunk and nasty bacteria to collect behind, and can't be cleaned effectively.

No wonder so many of these piercings end in infections and mess.

Professional piercers use clean needles every time, the jewellery itself is autoclaved and the process is just as quick and considerably less painful.

Awful practice: I can't believe it's still legal.

zippityzip · 20/10/2021 10:00

Why the fuck didn't anyone intervene???

Foolsrule · 20/10/2021 10:00

Send it to child protection at the local council?

endofagain · 20/10/2021 10:02

That is criminal assault of a child. The video should be sent to the local police.

Bagelsandbrie · 20/10/2021 10:03

@zippityzip

Why the fuck didn't anyone intervene???
Exactly.

We have a thread going on here at the moment about Arthur Hughes and the lack of people stepping up and intervening and yet again a child is abused in plain sight and NO ONE steps up! I mean it’s great it’s been recorded and we’re talking about it now (and if I’m right it was recorded by a 14 year old girl so I’m not saying she should have physically got involved- she’s a child) but you have adults there watching, adults walking past and no one does anything! Shameful.

endofagain · 20/10/2021 10:03

Who filmed it?

DueyCheatemAndHow · 20/10/2021 10:04

Absolutely shocking. We need to be braver to intervene and get rid of this 'other people's children' nonsense.

Helporhindrance07 · 20/10/2021 10:04

I’ve seen this, absolutely disgusting and I’m amazed the staff continued when the girl got distressed.

MagentaRocks · 20/10/2021 10:05

Disgusting. That is horrible to watch. Poor child. Even if she initially wanted it done, she clearly didn’t want to at that point and they should not have continued. It may be that she had the first ear done and it hurt too much and she didn’t want the second done. The first one will have healed over quickly if just taken out and left so no need to make the child have the other done.

EdgeOfTheSky · 20/10/2021 10:05

Bloody hell!

Forcing a girl child to have holes pierced in her body to hang decorations from? What message does that give?

And we are supposed to teach it children about bodily autonomy?

Shame on those parents, shame on the shop.

Bagelsandbrie · 20/10/2021 10:05

@DueyCheatemAndHow

Absolutely shocking. We need to be braver to intervene and get rid of this 'other people's children' nonsense.
100% this.
AutumnLeafy · 20/10/2021 10:06

That is sickening. If she was an adult it wouldn't even have occurred to them to do this.

GettingLardy · 20/10/2021 10:07

Very upsetting indeed. As somebody on Twitter pointed out, that flies in the face of teaching little girls about body autonomy. Sure it would be different if the child needed a life or death medical procedure and was resisting that but ear piercing? Utterly appalled.

Clocktopus · 20/10/2021 10:07

That poor kid.

I got DDs ears done when she was 6, almost 7. She asked for it done and had been asking for ages as a few in her class had them and her cousin did too. I chose a piercing parlour that had been recommended by several of the other mums. The guy doing her piercing told me that he doesn't pierce screaming children, he doesn't allow any child to be held down, and that at the first sign if no or don't he wouldn't go ahead. I even had to sign a form saying I accepted this and that I understood if it happened after the sterile packs had been opened then I'd still have to pay. He asked DD if it was okay to go ahead at every stage of the process and had a second person in so that both ears could be done at the same time with minimal fuss. DD didn't even realise it was all finished until he said she could get off the table and there were no tears.

There should be laws around piercing distressed children, piercing the under 5s, and a ban on high steet stores such as Claires doing them.

Goawaymorningsickeness · 20/10/2021 10:08

@endofagain

That is criminal assault of a child. The video should be sent to the local police.
Definitely. It’s a very clear assault. That poor girl was traumatised.
girlmom21 · 20/10/2021 10:08

Jesus Christ. I hope there are multiple prosecutions and the child is properly safeguarded after this. This is absolutely disgusting.

Why did nobody intervene?!