Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
BrilloPaddy · 20/10/2021 10:51

@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.
That was my immediate thought too. Poor little kid.
spiderlight · 20/10/2021 10:52

My God - that is so upsetting! Poor, poor little girl. I'm glad the police are involved because that is assault.

teaandtoast33 · 20/10/2021 10:52

Surely at that age the child should have a say in what happens to her own body? Made me feel sick watching that

CodeMode · 20/10/2021 10:52

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.

But consent wouldn’t even come into it for me. I just wouldn’t be willing to be part of doing something painful to a child for cosmetic reasons when they clearly are upset. Surely most people if they worked there would not have done this. If they would, I despair.

randomthings · 20/10/2021 10:53

The fact that posters are coming on here saying that the piercer they used stated that they don't restrain children or will stop when the child says no, indicates that it is quite common for children to say no, resist and be forcibly pierced. And that lots of parents want the procedure to go ahead like this, so the piercer needs to explain in advance that they won't.

Gonnagetgoing · 20/10/2021 10:53

What a disgusting way to treat a child. Surely if you see a child who is screaming (presumably changed her mind) you stop immediately?

And the women who worked in the shop should be ashamed of themselves letting this happen.

TheOnlyMrsM · 20/10/2021 10:55

Who are the 6% who voted this is reasonable? Come on - show yourselves. Explain why.

Sirzy · 20/10/2021 10:55

I have always had issue with young children having ears pierced anyway but this is horrific.

Ds has multiple disabilities and at times I have had to pin him down for life saving treatment. It’s awful. Now he is older then unless he consented I wouldn’t force something on him unless there was really no other option.

WakeMeUpin22 · 20/10/2021 10:55

That's made me feel sick. That poor child. This needs to go viral! Its disgusting.

pommedeterre · 20/10/2021 10:56

Wow. No words.

Ear piercing is quite obviously always a treat at the end of year 6!

Gonnagetgoing · 20/10/2021 10:56

@randomthings

The fact that posters are coming on here saying that the piercer they used stated that they don't restrain children or will stop when the child says no, indicates that it is quite common for children to say no, resist and be forcibly pierced. And that lots of parents want the procedure to go ahead like this, so the piercer needs to explain in advance that they won't.
I'm wondering if the child was scared or hurt by the piercing gun, in which case there could/should be a demo video shown to the child so they can see/hear exactly what happens.

Otherwise I'm sure the parent when they explain about ear piercing can't or won't explain properly. A lot of young children like the idea of 'pretty earrings' in their ears but don't realise the process used to get the holes.

MrsRobbieHart · 20/10/2021 10:56

@AutumnLeafy

the staff were clearly ill trained you don't need training to understand consent.
Actually, lots of people do. That’s why they are having lessons about consent in schools, why the police are doing as campaigns about consent. So many people have such a poor grasp of what consent actually looks like.
DILevil · 20/10/2021 10:57

@TheOnlyMrsM

Who are the 6% who voted this is reasonable? Come on - show yourselves. Explain why.
Worrying isn’t it! I’m glad the police are looking into it and I hope the mother sees what she did is wrong. We’ll done to the person with the skateboard trying to distract them. That mother has taught her daughter if she’s ever in pain and scared and doesn’t want something to happen, don’t cry for help or shout no as adults can do what they want to you and no one will help. Fuck sake.
notso · 20/10/2021 10:57

That's absolutely disgusting.
I lost my first job in a hairdressers as a teen for refusing to hold down a screaming six month old baby for ear piercing.

CharityDingle · 20/10/2021 10:57

Didn't watch it, but poor child.
I hope that this going viral, doesn't make things even worse for her. Sad

Rubyupbeat · 20/10/2021 10:58

The Mother is the most disgusting one here, I am sorry.
Yes, the store is totally wrong, but, they have no emotional attachment to the child.
Awful, just Awful!

Sirzy · 20/10/2021 10:58

A lot of young children like the idea of 'pretty earrings' in their ears but don't realise the process used to get the holes.

Which is the process shouldn’t be undertaken until someone can give informed consent and understand the whole process of piercing and after care.

No harm will come to anyone from waiting a few years!

DILevil · 20/10/2021 10:58

And to the posters saying about guns vs needles, I wasn’t aware of the lack of infection control and the guns sound like a major source of bacteria being shot into an ear. Thanks for making people aware of that.

k1233 · 20/10/2021 10:59

I don't agree with a minimum age for ear piercing - mine were done when I was 5yo as I wanted them done.

I do agree the video is all kinds of wrong and the piercing should not have been done in this situation where the child was clearly not wanting it done.

Miliao · 20/10/2021 10:59

This is heartbreaking. She’s clinging on to her mother to save and protect her and the mother is forcing this abuse. I really hope something is done about this, poor child, what an abuse of trust.

TurnUpTurnip · 20/10/2021 10:59

Loads of kids have their ears pierced in my daughters school, the school have to regularly send out reminders that hooped earrings aren’t allowed in school (primary 😐)

Wondergirl100 · 20/10/2021 10:59

Oh - I walked past Claire's accessories recently and heard an incredible wail - I turned and saw a baby about six months being pinned down by the mother (held on her lap) - and her ears pierced she was in utter distress couldn't belive what I was seeing.

ArabellaScott · 20/10/2021 11:00

Children can't give informed consent. It's a procedure with a risk of infection.

LittleMysSister · 20/10/2021 11:00

How horrible. I don't understand people who are obsessed with getting their child's ears pierced, why??? What difference does it make to you?

Let them get them done if and when they want it.

jessycake · 20/10/2021 11:00

I'm amazed they would carry on piercing a childs ears that was screaming and writhing about ,and on a dirty shop floor too .