Closed petition Make piercing children’s ears under the age of 5 illegal

Closed on 26 February 2022

In an age when consent has become a very important topic in modern society, a parent should not be able to decide to modify a young child’s body for superficial reasons. With no medical benefit it should not be considered until the child can make an informed decision regarding their own body.

Millions of children are needlessly put through the pain and trauma of ear piercing at a young age by their caregivers simply because they want to modify their child. There is no logical reason why a child with no ability to grant consent, should be able to have their body pierced. It is needless pain that can also lead to infection, which would mean a course of antibiotics at the cost of the NHS to clear. It is selfish and a vanity element for the parents and not about what’s best for the child.