Breast Ironing in young girls

The abuse is not ancient in the UK

Not seems to be part of some cultures, is part of some cultures.
Let's get that straight. There's no ifs or buts about it.

OK, this is vile abuse of young girls which somehow seems to be " part of" some cultures.

It is totally unacceptable and needs people of the highest calibre to challenge and support. These people would most likely be social workers, who are poorly paid and massively overworked. They have huge caseloads and work long hours.

As the austerity noose becomes ever tighter round our necks, support dies. The youth service for example, a brilliant safe space for young people is destroyed. Teachers are tied to a punishing regime of testing and payment by results.

Culture and colour play a part for sure but please don't blame so called " liberals" for this abomination.

Also, I am interested to know how France tackles this?

Goady

Austerity, resources, ss on their knees? This abuse is ancient not recent. There will always be excuses not to do anything. The French seems able to tackle it. “Goody posts” thought this was a forum for opinions?

There are ideas on what can be done in this article but who knows where the money will come from?

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/02/urgent-action-needed-address-lack-fgm-awareness?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Exactly Lily . Where are they? There are some nasty goady posts in this thread insinuating that no one ( or certain no ones) care at all about BI and that nothing is been done about it, much is being done and many professionals would like to do more but thanks to austerity there aren’t the resources to do as much as they would wish - that’s the real scandal that ss are on their knee. And coupled with that is the real difficulty of exactly what can be done?

Who, exactly are this " liberal pc brigade" who wish to allow young girls to be vilely abused?

Smacking children is now an offence thank goodness but if people are from a different culture the liberal pc brigade want a softly softly approach. If these people were cutting noses or ears off their children would we not be appalled at the abuse. It’s only because it is hidden. The law in this country is a joke.

One of my friends is from West Africa and a social worker. She and her colleagues work very very hard to try and provide care on an ever diminishing budget.

I think the these vile practises need to be attended to ASAP by the best possible professionals, who are valued and given the chance to do their job.

Are we so scared of being branded racist that we would rather not protect these children. These mothers must be f*****g nuts - sorry, but it is quite beyond the pale.

There needs to be more public awareness and places like GN are good places to air discussions to bring these practices to wider attention, along with media advertisements which have been aired.

www.kscb.org.uk/guidance/physical-and-mental-health/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-breast-ironing

And another from Kent

www.hampshiresafeguardingchildrenboard.org.uk/professionals/fgm-breast-ironing-honour-based-violence/#

Here’s one example from Hampshire

Barbarians!!!
a human who is perceived to be either uncivilised or primitive
No apologies for the words I've used. This is exactly what they are and they walk amongst us

Jal there is a great deal of campaigning work going on and much awareness raising amongst the relevant professionals - as the polic officer said the other day it is extraordinarily difficult. There are a range of tactics been employed and to suggest otherwise is pandering to the usual GN pc gorn mad brigade. As someone said on the FGM thread, there are strategies that could be used eg physical examination of breasts and genitals on a regular basis of girls over a certain age - should we do that? How would the girls be targeted? Certain cultural groups? Changing attitudes is really tough and requires work within the relevant communities but there’s no quick fix and it’s absolutely unfair to imply that nothing is happening

Now that there has AT LAST been a criminal case of FGM isn't not time to stop BREAST IRONING in the UK and action taken in the Courts?

POGS It is astonishing that this is the first case which has been taken to court in the UK resulting in a conviction.

There have been just three other trials involving FGM - two in London and one in Bristol - which all ended in acquittals while some 298 prevention orders have been put in place to safeguard children at risk.

As for so-called 'breast ironing' - this is nothing less than sexual assault and actual bodily harm.
The problem is that girls who are subjected to these horrific practices will, in all probability, not speak out - who would they tell if they are young ? How will they know that this is wrong and not normal practice?

There needs to be much more awareness and a campaign to promote this with much more rigorous awareness by police, social workers, health workers who are not afraid to speak out for fear of being considered racist as has happened in other case of child abuse..

Maryeliza

What the hell are talking about!

Are you trying to derail the thread or is it personal?

And no one is calling you a racist POGS

I knew about both these practises after I'd lived in West Africa for some years. It's absolutely abhorrent and of course fuelled by misogyny. Witchcraft, too, is widespread, with terrible consequences.

Education is surely the key but first of all, you need to engage people before you can educate them and when people live in their own little enclaves, I don't know how you can reach them.

Maryeliza

" I think you are being goady POGS "

Oh dear.

Sorry but I will take whatever comes my way Maryeliza of a personal nature as the subject , at least to me, is worth getting comments such as yours.

It’s not just about stopping these heinous practices in the U.K. they should be stopped everywhere. I saw a programme about a campaigner against FGM and she reported a sharp decline in this practice in her home country - I think it was Somalia- due to openness and campaigning and enforcing the law. This mean it’s less likely people living in other countries will take children back to these countries to be mutilated.

I think you are being goady POGS . I first learned about FGM in the 1960s when it was called female circumcision. I heard about breast ironing in the last few years. Both practices make me sick to my stomach as I’m sure they do all of us. On the FGM thread some of us have discussed how stopping it is fraught with difficulties. And it’s the same for BI . I wish I had some answers but I don’t - we can all post how awful these practices are but where does that get us? I think maybe donations to relevant charities is the way forward?

I also have never heard of this but have been very well aware of FGM for many years.

petra

And it still appears there is a disinterest and I cannot for the life of me fathom out why.