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

[PoetryLaser]

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

[MichelleScarn]

@girlmom21

which is that the staff were clearly ill trained

This isn't a training issue, unless you want the training to include a section called 'don't be a cunt'

Exactly this, if someone had to be told this is wrong, I'd be questioning their capacity and general safety around themselves and others.

[Artie30]

I don't think it should be banned under 12's (maybe under 5's though) but piercings salons should agree to do it if kid doesn't want it done. Dd had her ears pierced at 6. She fully wanted them done we all her friends did, it was her choice and she didn't even flinch!

[AnotherName456]

This is horrific I am so upset and angry for that poor little girl. What the fuck were they thinking?

[ThirdElephant]

@clockover

I had this done in the 90s, age 7 or 8, I think. Had the first ear pierced, screamed, ran out of the shop. Dad had to chase after me, drag me back and hold me in the chair to get the other one done.

He didn't have to do that at all though

No, but he's a narcissist and didn't want to pay for something that hadn't been done, or have me wandering around with a single earring.

When I took them out after six weeks they healed over, so he forced the blunt studs back through the healing scar tissue to reopen them.

[Simonjt]

The worst part is if a parent is willing to assault their child in public, imagine how awfully they behave behind closed doors. Sadly children being assaulted is so so normalised, look at how many people choose to use assault as a ‘parenting method’.

I can understand why people may not physically intervene, they may be worried about their own safety, they may be with their own children.

[Dindundundundeeer]

@ThirdElephant

I had this done in the 90s, age 7 or 8, I think. Had the first ear pierced, screamed, ran out of the shop. Dad had to chase after me, drag me back and hold me in the chair to get the other one done. It was at a hairdressers/beauty salon and that was a gun piercing.

I imagine it's more common than we like to think. I would hope the piercers are charged with assault.

I take issue with ‘had to’

[ThirdElephant]

*correction- I imagine the studs were slightly pointed because they were used for gun piercing.

[Exhausted5487]

I've complained to the shopping centre, it's disgusting.

[CodeMode]

You'd have thought the staff would have had training on consent?

They really shouldn’t need training to know this was unacceptable. I mean, if you worked there, would you have done it with or without consent training? There’s no way I’d have done this, as a human being, you just don’t do it.

The parents/carers and staff are all at fault and should be prosecuted.

[Tagcurious]

I saw this yesterday and it’s horrific. I got the sense there were a number of young teenagers witnessing it who were very unhappy about what was happening and wanted to intervene. It doesn’t surprise me that. 14 year old girl recorded and shared it. She clearly knew this was young, as did the young lad who was on the skateboard. Shame on these adults.

[AnnaSW1]

I've seen staff in a London Claire's store doing the same with a toddler. And parent helping. I honestly wanted to walk up and punch the mother. See how she likes being assaulted in public against her will. It's so grim.

[TheOnlyMrsM]

It also makes me wonder how this little girl is treated in private if she is treated like this in public?

[1940s]

Fuckinghell I truly wish I hadn't watched that.

That Mother is an absolute animal and should be so ashamed of herself. You couldn't pay any wage to me as staff to do that to a child.

I hope this video goes viral and that Social services get involved and policies changed for this from a piercing perspective.

My heart is pounding

[CovidCorvid]

@CodeMode

You'd have thought the staff would have had training on consent?

They really shouldn’t need training to know this was unacceptable. I mean, if you worked there, would you have done it with or without consent training? There’s no way I’d have done this, as a human being, you just don’t do it.

The parents/carers and staff are all at fault and should be prosecuted.

Without training they might not understand the concept of competence and might think a parent can consent for a child...which is incorrect. But some people might not realise this.

[Rinoachicken]

The shopping centre are responding on Twitter. Though an actual statement would probably be more helpful.

[SequinnedShawl]

When I took them out after six weeks they healed over, so he forced the blunt studs back through the healing scar tissue to reopen them

What a cunt.

[Sally090807]

Absolutely shocked that the store continued with the piercing when clearly the child was distressed and piercings should be banned until the child is old enough to sign a consent form in my opinion.

[Bagelsandbrie]

@ThirdElephant that is absolutely terrible. I’m sorry you went through that.

[Shitzngiggles]

Wonder what that poor little girl has to put up with behind closed doors if the adults in her life can do something like that in public.

[Eileen101]

Absolutely horrendous, I hope charges are brought.

I'm shocked that:

1. The parents were planning for the child to have this cosmetic procedure against her wishes.
2. The staff went ahead with this
3. No-one else intervened for this poor child.

Horrendous.

[Sunshineandflipflops]

That poor child. Physically restraining a child for the purposes of something like medical interventions (I have had to do this to an extent when dc were small to get much needed medication into them) is one thing but so they can have some cheap jewellery in their ears? Absolutely no way on earth.

[Worldgonecrazy]

Awful. How is the child treated in private if that is how she is treated in public.

It’s not about ear piercing or age, it’s about a child visibly and physically resisting an assault and no one feeling able to do anything.

That poor child, and no doubt during any investigation the child will think such behaviour from adults is normal and even defend the abusers.

[MadeForThis]

It's horrific. Looks like the boy with the skateboard was trying to distract them to stop them.

[EmotionalSupportBear]

i can't even.. its horrendous.. there's just no excuse for the staff allowing that to continue, the moment it meant mom sitting on the floor restraining her, they should have said no.

[TheOnlyMrsM]

Some of us, as parents, carers and/or as medical staff, have to physically restrain children or vulnerable adults when all else fails - and I mean all else for essential care or medical or dental procedures, and that feels bad enough. But to do it for a cosmetic vanity? No. No. No.