Forcible Ear Piercing: Physically Restrain a distressed and resistant child?

[Bugurl747]

This is a little different from the typical articles I see posted here but highlights consent, child's rights, and what some may describe as abuse.

IMO, a very interesting social discussion is happening right now regarding children's rights and an inherently flawed corporate policy and I am curious what you think about it.

Is it ok to restrain a screaming child, who has stated that they do not want their ears pierced or anyone touching them and proceed to forcibly do it anyway?
District manager at Claire's says, "absolutely."

This is not a medically necessary procedure. This is an elective vanity procedure often times initiated by the parent or caregiver.

I highlighted some quotes from the article and am curious what your thoughts are regarding this socially accepted grey area that has slipped through the cracks for decades.

Claire's Employee Quits, Calls Out Policy After Refusing to Pierce a Non-Consenting Child's Ears


-“The girl pleaded and sobbed for 30 minutes not to be pierced,” Marks wrote. “Despite Mom saying, ‘Honey, we can go home whenever you want,’ she was not letting her daughter go home. She was putting a great deal of pressure on her daughter to go through with the piercing.”

-She begged, over and over again, for Mom to please, just take her home,” Marks continued. “That child’s message was loud and clear to me: Do not touch my body, do not pierce my ears, I do not want to be here.

-“I explained the child that refused the piercing and begged to be left alone, and I told my manager that I would not have been able to pierce that little girl’s ears if Mom had insisted on it,” she wrote. “I was firmly told, ‘You would have had no choice but to do it.’ “

-So I brought up the worst scenario I could think of,” she continued. “I wanted to know how far we were supposed to take this policy of piercing non-consenting children. ‘So if a mother is physically restraining her daughter, holding her down and saying, “DO IT,” while that little girl cries and asks me not to, do I do the piercing?’ My manager did not hesitate to respond, ‘Yes, you do the piercing.’ “


-District Sales Manager confirms this policy is correct: Children can be held down and pierced,” Marks continued. “Children do not have a voice in the piercing process. The associate doing the piercing has no right to refuse to shoot metal through the ears of a child who begs not to be touched.”

 

[squareandrabbet]

OMG, I can't even...

As one who has always had squeamish problems with the concept of parents doing it to their unresisting infants under the same principle, HELL NO am I coming down on the side of some irate senseless mother.

I mean, really, I can't recall the last time I was in a mall or location with a Claire's, but I did very much grow up in suburbia. I don't recall people screeching their lungs out at any time during my younger years when this operation was performed in public; but damn, are Claire's not still primarily in malls?? Does Claire's as a corporate entity really think this is a good policy to uphold? A sobbing protesting child screaming at the top of their lungs from inside the store? The optics, well you know what I mean, are already hideous enough off of that, IMO.

This is bad enough to make me wish this narcissistic mother had had the girl's ears pierced as a baby, because clearly someone who would let their child struggle for 30 minutes against something she clearly does not want, wants her child to fulfill her own needs. "I want a pretty little cutie-pie daughter with wee pierced ears, because I think I'd look really cute with one holding my hand in public. Me me me."

 

[LotsaLatte]

uggghhh. That poor little girl

 

[katydid23]

I think that is a terrible policy. I applaud the employee for calling them out on it.

 

[silverjug]

OMG, I can't even...

As one who has always had squeamish problems with the concept of parents doing it to their unresisting infants under the same principle, HELL NO am I coming down on the side of some irate senseless mother.

I mean, really, I can't recall the last time I was in a mall or location with a Claire's, but I did very much grow up in suburbia. I don't recall people screeching their lungs out at any time during my younger years when this operation was performed in public; but damn, are Claire's not still primarily in malls?? Does Claire's as a corporate entity really think this is a good policy to uphold? A sobbing protesting child screaming at the top of their lungs from inside the store? The optics, well you know what I mean, are already hideous enough off of that, IMO.

This is bad enough to make me wish this narcissistic mother had had the girl's ears pierced as a baby, because clearly someone who would let their child struggle for 30 minutes against something she clearly does not want, wants her child to fulfill her own needs. "I want a pretty little cutie-pie daughter with wee pierced ears, because I think I'd look really cute with one holding my hand in public. Me me me."

How could anyone force this on a child? I remember going with my daughter to have her ears pierced -- mind you she was 24 at the time. I hate to see young babies with pierced ears, it just looks horrible.

 

[Barnabas]

I didn’t pierce my kids’ ears until they asked for it as preteens.

 

[TTF14]

Wow, kudos to that employee for voicing her concerns. This is terrible! I 100% do not agree with this policy.

 

[faya]

I used to do some ear piercing as part of my job. At the salon I worked at we would have definitely refused to do it.

 

[beatrixpotter]

I remember hearing my little sister scream in the mall. They only successfully pierced one year.

 

[MicheleT]

The irony of this is that we have parents who scream about getting their kids vaccinated because of the reason brought up by the employee, but then we have this...

 

[ShayLeeB]

Props to the employee who stopped to consider the fact that this child is a person who should have a voice in what happens to them. I would have quit my job before violating that little girl's basic rights as a human being. She, as well as all children have a right to be heard and to have their thoughts and feelings respected.

 

[TTF14]

The irony of this is that we have parents who scream about getting their kids vaccinated because of the reason brought up by the employee, but then we have this...

Do you mean "pain" is the reason parents aren't getting their kids vaccinated?

 

[MicheleT]

Do you mean "pain" is the reason parents aren't getting their kids vaccinated?

In some cases, that is one of the reasons quoted

 

[Bugurl747]

The irony of this is that we have parents who scream about getting their kids vaccinated because of the reason brought up by the employee, but then we have this...

I recall as a 4 year old child having 4 people hold me down in order to receive my prekindergarten vaccinations. I didn't give consent and although fleeting, it did cause pain. The difference in my opinion is that the vaccines are beneficial and protected me from dangerous deadly diseases and there was no physical changes due to the procedure. MOO

 

[dotr]

d

 

[ILikeToBendPages]

My sister wanted to have my two year year old daughter ears pierced when her three and five year old wanted theirs done. I said no, I wanted her to decide. So after a few years being envious of cousins with holes in their ears, she said she wanted them pierced. We went to a place like Claire's and we talked to the girl that did ear piercings, and she showed my daughter what was used and how, and we both told her it would hurt a little then be over. She said she wanted to get them done and sat still and had them done.
When my granddaughter was five and started kindergarten there were many little girls with pierced ears and she wanted hers done, so off to Claires at the mall and had them done, there was no screaming or fighting about it. If she hadn't wanted it done when we got there we would of left, no big deal no problem.

Our barber won't cut a teenagers hair if there is a struggle going on about how to cut or how short or long. Says she doesn't want to be in the middle, and I don't blame her. I'd do the same.

 

[Bugurl747]

State laws vary on body piercing and tattoo regulations with the youngest body piercing age restriction being 13 years of age at quick glance.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/tattooing-and-body-piercing.aspx

body piercing

Placing an object, usually a metal or plastic ornament, into a body part such as the ears, navel, nose, lips, tongue, nipple, or genitalia. Piercing may be associated with problems such as local skin infections, the transmission of blood-borne infections,and allergic reactions to the object.


ear piercing
The formation of a permanent, skin-lined perforation through the earlobe, from which a decorative ring or pendant can be suspended.


If we are regulating body piercings in many states, what is the difference between body piercing and ear piercing?

Is it the diameter or gauge of the piercing, equipment used and how it is cleaned, location of shop, person performing said piercing?

I believe a 20 gauge is what a place like Claire's uses for earrings and it is the smallest that a body-piercer will use in your ear.
I see correlating factors between the two entities yet one is regulated and the other not so much. Thoughts? MOO

 

[MsFacetious]

Add me to the list of "absolutely not okay."