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

I think any normal person would stop if the child was screaming (I’d like to think)

My 12 year old is desperate to get hers was ready and asking at 10 years old…I know she would be one those kids that would suddenly change her mind and probably scream the place down! So I’m waiting till she has matured a little more!

I begged and begged to get mine done. My mum finally let me at 9, instead of 11 years old age as had always said. We went to a proper salon, I felt awful after the first. My mum said I didn't need to do the next one, in fact I think she wanted to stop there. It was always my choice. I insisted that I got them both despite that. My choice.

This video, this is appalling. Shocking on so many levels and yes, I'm glad to see police involved. It's abuse.

As someone with many piercings I think all piercings should be banned until you are 16.
This video is horrendous and I hope the staff and the mother face assult charges.
Well done to the child who filmed it for realising how wrong the adults were and doing what they could to highlight it.

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.

Absolutely. I've pinned DS for innumerable medical procedures in his early years and now I still have to hold him bloody tight for injections and bloods because of that early trauma. I couldn't do it for something to make him look "prettier"

@Miliao

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.

That's the most harrowing part.

@MadeForThis

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

Yes, I thought that, re. the skateboard.

What an appalling thing to do. The little girl is so very clearly saying "No, no, no" and "get off of me". And the look of "phew"/exhalation of exasperated breath from the (I assume) mother sitting on the floor grasping the child is staggering. Utterly abhorrent. That poor child.

I wonder how long it will be before the mother/grandmother pops up somewhere to say that, actually, the little girl "really, REALLY wanted" earrings and was just "being naughty"?

@DueyCheatemAndHow

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

Absolutely. I hate this walk on by society. Child safety is EVERYONE’s business.

I wish there was a campaign to encourage people to call out this sort of thing.

@BananaPB

I suspect that the staff would welcome such a law too because it must affect them too.

Then they can refuse.

Oh god, that's awful, poor little girl.

It does bring up memories of my worst parenting fail ever though. When DD was turning 12 she decided she wanted her ears pierced, by the time she was in the chair she was nervous and we persuaded her to let the ladies put the guns to her ear and I told them to do it, she wasn't ready and looked really shocked and I've felt that I abused her trust. I often apologize to her (she is not bothered and even says I did the right thing, but I disagree).

But to hold down a screaming child is vile.

@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.

This is precisely why I waited until I thought my dd was ready rather than giving in to pester power.

The mother will have filled in her details. I hope all of the women are charged.

'I wonder how long it will be before the mother/grandmother pops up somewhere to say that, actually, the little girl "really, REALLY wanted" earrings and was just "being naughty"?'

My thoughts exactly, won't be long before we hear how she's been asking for years to have this done and it was the right choice 🙄

It's awful, no one should be forced any sort of cosmetic procedure, let alone a child. I'm from a culture where getting ears pierced when you were very little was common, I must have been 3. I cried and cried, it was scary as can be. I have a family member who has pierced their very young daughters ears, I hate it, makes me very angry. Leave well alone, there isn't a 'time frame' to piece ears, let people make their choices. Sorry going off on a rant, really hope the girl is doing ok. Good to see police involved (still trying to work out how mum and grandma thought it was a great idea 🤷‍♀️)

@MrsRobbieHart

I said this but all the girls in my daughters primary in year 6 had been done I made her wait until 12 but she really wanted it done

My son was the same. All the boys in his class went through a stage of having an ear pierced. He begged and pleaded with me. I said no. Repeatedly. He really wanted it done. I still said no. I’m the parent.

My son desperately wanted it done when he was about 13. I said no. Funnily enough he's in his 40s now and never got his ears pierced.

@Bagelsandbrie

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.

Staff should be sacked and parents - where are they. Some pierce babies ears.

I wish there was a minimum age it's quite cruel but fashion and religious and cultural practices seem to be the way.

The only circumstance that this could possibly be Ok was if (depending on the age) the girl said before the proceedure that she really wanted it done, understood the risks, was scared of needles and knew she would shout/cry/scream get off during it but told the piercer to ignore her? Possibly.

I saw that happen with a friend having a tattoo once. Yes she was older at 18yo but I suppose it comes down to capacity. A 13yo can have capacity.

You'd still think most piercers for an under 18yo would say no.

I should add that my DD is more upset I took her to a place that used guns. I had no idea tbh, I had mine done with guns, I had no clue how much safer needle piercing is.

This absolutely disgusting. I hope people boycott these stores.

How the fuck do we teach our children about bodily autonomy and consent when their own mother is the instigator of the abuse and mutilation? So so sad.

Glad the police are involved, but I assume they will say no crime has actually taken place. I hope lots of people recognise this fucker and shame her to her face

A child actually recorded the footage

I don't think there is anyway this is OK.

@CovidCorvid

The only circumstance that this could possibly be Ok was if (depending on the age) the girl said before the proceedure that she really wanted it done, understood the risks, was scared of needles and knew she would shout/cry/scream get off during it but told the piercer to ignore her? Possibly.

I saw that happen with a friend having a tattoo once. Yes she was older at 18yo but I suppose it comes down to capacity. A 13yo can have capacity.

You'd still think most piercers for an under 18yo would say no.

So possibly ok if a young girl tells her boyfriend that she wants to have sex, but might feel nervous and sound like she’s changed her mind. It hurts, so she starts shouting “no, stop” but he carries on because it’s for the best in the bigger scheme?

Absolutely fucking not ok. Neither is this piercing.

The only circumstance that this could possibly be Ok was if (depending on the age) the girl said before the proceedure that she really wanted it done, understood the risks, was scared of needles and knew she would shout/cry/scream get off during it but told the piercer to ignore her? Possibly.

No. That should still be a hard “no” from the piercer or tattoo artist.

@CovidCorvid

The only circumstance that this could possibly be Ok was if (depending on the age) the girl said before the proceedure that she really wanted it done, understood the risks, was scared of needles and knew she would shout/cry/scream get off during it but told the piercer to ignore her? Possibly.

I saw that happen with a friend having a tattoo once. Yes she was older at 18yo but I suppose it comes down to capacity. A 13yo can have capacity.

You'd still think most piercers for an under 18yo would say no.

That’s an awful road to go down for anyone. Especially for something that is entirely voluntary.

No means no. No it’s, buts or maybes. That should be the basic of bodily autonomy for anyone.

I wish this was unusual for these kind of places but it’s not.

I used to work as a body piercer and I heard of this happening so many times.
The argument is that “they really want it they are just scared, they will be happy that we forced them afterwards because the really Want it”

It’s such BS.

I had a friend who worked in Claire’s accessories as a teenager and she was told never to listen to the child, do exactly what the parent wants.
They even had them trained in how to get the parents to hold the child tightly against their body and hold their head so that the couldn’t move (usually used for the second piercing after they refused because the first one hurt)

I won’t start a rant about piercing guns but they are unnecessarily painful and traumatic to the skin. And to children.

It should 100% be banned.

Hopefully this is one thread that will get picked up by a newspaper

I'm not easily shocked but this is appalling. That poor little girl.

I just watched the video. Disgusting.

The mother, grandmother and store staff should be arrested for abuse.

The store should be prevented from carrying out any further piercings.