Little girl screams no while held down to have ears pierced

[Twink55]

@Maree

A bit like having a child circumcised for religious reasons.

I understand that the NHS will do this if the boy is healthy, but I feel that if it is so important to their culture or religion, but not for health reasons, then it should be done on a private basis.

[Bathsheba]

@Maree

I suppose so, although a lot off children and teenagers love having their ears pierced and it’s not permanent like tattoos

I think it’s Hindus who ritually pierce their children’s ears when they are about 5 or 6? So that might be an issue. A bit like having a child circumcised for religious reasons.

I know, lots of children and teenagers love it, and there’s often a lot of peer pressure, but I honestly think younger children have no idea what it’s going to be like to go through it, nor the fact that their ears can get infected if not treated with care in the first few weeks. If an older child or teenager is able to give informed consent to have their ears pierced, then that’s one thing, but to be forcibly restrained while screaming no, is another thing entirely.

Yes, I think it is Hindus who pierce their daughter’s ears at a very young age. Somehow, though, the term ‘cultural reasons’ doesn’t sit comfortably with me when there’s no other reason for the treatment and no medical advantage. I could say that caning children at school was part of my culture growing up, but that’s been abolished and rightly so.

[LongDriver]

A quick search and I found that body piercings undertaken at tattoo parlours are always treated with an anaesthetic cream called Emla which is lidocaine. This should be mandatory in jewellers for ears. It’s available in Lloyds for fiver, so if the parents of that youngster were in any way caring, a tube of that would have prevented what happened.
I can feel a petition coming on

[Twink55]

Personally I don’t agree with any form of genital mutilation on a child, and isn’t that what circumcision is? If it is necessary for the child’s health then it should be done, but if it is for cultural or religious reasons, the n the child should make their own decision when they are an adult!

[Donkeyman]

@LongDriver ,. It’s just the same as ear piercing if not done
for medical reasons ??
And FGM should be classed as mutilation surely ??
Donkeyman!
PS. The title speaks for its self !!

[Maree]

@Twink55

@Maree

A bit like having a child circumcised for religious reasons.

I understand that the NHS will do this if the boy is healthy, but I feel that if it is so important to their culture or religion, but not for health reasons, then it should be done on a private basis.

Without doubt, I agree that it shouldn’t be done on the NHS for solely religious reasons. I’m not sure it should be done at all on a child too young to give consent

[Judd]

When I had my ear pierced (the old-fashioned way with a hole-punch), the jeweller doing it froze my earlobe with something from a cannister. Never felt a thing. It’s a great pity that this is no longer done to alleviate any pain.

[LongDriver]

Everything was a lot different a lifetime ago and thinking back to my boarding school days, the mix was about 50-50. To be circumcised as an adult is a lot different as an infant.

[Jazzi]

Fully agree with you there, Twink. And Art’s observation of babies have it done. Jewellery of any kind has never interested me, not even the wearing of a watch, and I do wish parents would allow their child to make their own mind up, at a reasonable age. I am not sure I want to read that original article!

[Bathsheba]

@Maree

Without doubt, I agree that it shouldn’t be done on the NHS for solely religious reasons. I’m not sure it should be done at all on a child too young to give consent

It’s a difficult one, this, because I believe the NHS carry it out so that they can be sure it’s done safely. If it could only be done privately, then I’d worry that the practice would go ‘underground’, and any problems arising from it not being carried out safely would then be picked up by the NHS anyway.

Personally I would like to see all forms of genital mutilation banned for children, and that includes circumcision, but again, this would force the practice ‘underground’. I’m not sure what the answer is.

[Maree]

@Bathsheba

@Maree

Without doubt, I agree that it shouldn’t be done on the NHS for solely religious reasons. I’m not sure it should be done at all on a child too young to give consent

It’s a difficult one, this, because I believe the NHS carry it out so that they can be sure it’s done safely. If it could only be done privately, then I’d worry that the practice would go ‘underground’, and any problems arising from it not being carried out safely would then be picked up by the NHS anyway.

Personally I would like to see all forms of genital mutilation banned for children, and that includes circumcision, but again, this would force the practice ‘underground’. I’m not sure what the answer is.

You could use the same argument for justifying doing FGM on the NHS, though, or indeed ear piercing.

I think a line has to be drawn and if it’s not done for medical reasons the NHS shouldn’t do it.

[Bathsheba]

@Maree

You could use the same argument for justifying doing FGM on the NHS, though, or indeed ear piercing.

I think a line has to be drawn and if it’s not done for medical reasons the NHS shouldn’t do it.

Yes, you’re right. As I say, I don’t know what the answer is. I do think all genital mutilation should be banned, absolutely. But there would have to be stringent monitoring in place, and do we really have the resources to check every baby regularly? To make attendance at clinics compulsory, where babies and toddlers are routinely weighed and checked?

I’m afraid that any such legislation simply wouldn’t have the teeth.

[PixieKnuckles]

I don’t understand this at all…how can any mother stand by and watch her child be in pain? Choose to allow her child to be in pain?? And the shop, what the heck? As soon as the child looked remotely nervous they should have stopped!

[Maree]

I think, though, that the ultra fine tips and guns they use now make it fairly painless anyway, no need for numbing

I didn’t have mine pierced until I was 40 and I did have it done at Claire’s. It squeezed a bit and there is a loud noise and a “crunch” which isn’t nice but I can honestly say it didn’t hurt

But this poor child wasn’t to know that, unless they’d already done one ear and they didn’t want the second.

Clearly just terrified and didn’t want it done, so numbing might not have helped

Brutal to hold a child down and do this to them and questions need to be asked about how that child is treated at home

I believe the adult has to sign a consent form so they should be able to track down who this is

[Danny]

I’m sorry going to be insensitive here, NO parent has the right to make permanent changes to a Childs body, unless it’s medically necessary. Your appearance is yours to change or keep the same. No one should be allowed to do things to children that alter them physically. That’s how a child develops a unique personality, making those decisions. Culture be damned. Wrong is wrong I don’t care if you label it tradition. You’re the adult, your role is to protect, and teach, not mutilate. Yes I realize it’s only ear piercing, but it is still their body their choice.

[Bathsheba]

@Danny

I’m sorry going to be insensitive here, NO parent has the right to make permanent changes to a Childs body, unless it’s medically necessary. Your appearance is yours to change or keep the same. No one should be allowed to do things to children that alter them physically. That’s how a child develops a unique personality, making those decisions. Culture be damned. Wrong is wrong I don’t care if you label it tradition. You’re the adult, your role is to protect, and teach, not mutilate. Yes I realize it’s only ear piercing, but it is still their body their choice.

Spot on Danny. Their body, their choice. I couldn’t agree with you more.

[Bathsheba]

@PixieKnuckles

I don’t understand this at all…how can any mother stand by and watch her child be in pain? Choose to allow her child to be in pain?? And the shop, what the heck? As soon as the child looked remotely nervous they should have stopped!

Exactly Pixie. It is utterly incomprehensible, and is why I said that the mother and grandmother (who I believe they were) should be held to account for this. It is child abuse, pure and simple.

[Bathsheba]

@Maree

Brutal to hold a child down and do this to them and questions need to be asked about how that child is treated at home

I believe the adult has to sign a consent form so they should be able to track down who this is

Yes, a very good point you’ve made there. Any parent who allows - no, forces - this to take place should be under suspicion.

Also a good point about the consent form - let’s hope they are traced and brought to book.

[Gee3]

The fact that the shop, named as “Lovisa” in some media reports, felt comfortable to not just do it under those circumstance. But comfortable to do it so publicly tells us an awful lot about the ethics of that brand.

[Danny]

Sorry, but this subject makes my blood boil. We do things to children under the guise of tradition and culture, that we would lock up or kill a stranger for doing. Anything like this makes me think of this:

In U.S., Female Genital Mutilation's Lasting Scars

Makes me want to scream, and I don’t even have children!