Girls allegedly encouraged to bind or remove breasts through surgery on NSPCC chat rooms
Informal advice shared by users of the NSPCC website allegedly encourages girls to have breast removal surgery if they are unhappy with their bodies.
Messages shared in online chat rooms by users but hosted by the charity show the apparent children giving advice on how to cope with dysphoric feelings about their gender.
In one message posted in October last year, a person who describes themselves as “assigned female at birth” but non-binary, gave advice to another user who said they were transitioning to become a man, but was upset having recently got their period.
Their advice said: “When I feel dysphoric, especially about my breasts, I constantly remind myself that one day I’ll get top surgery and never have to feel it again.”
The user suggests taking testosterone or birth control as a method to stop periods.
They add: “Just constantly tell yourself that when you’re older, you’ll be able to get treatments that mean that you won’t feel dysphoric and feel like yourself again.”
‘Egging each other on’
There are over 15,000 posts on the gender identity message board on Childline, a subsidiary of the NSPCC charity. Critics have suggested that the messages being highlighted only “scratch the surface”.
In another post from November last year, a child expresses suicidal thoughts about being unable to access a chest binder without their parents’ knowledge.
The response from another user states there are “ways to get free binders” and suggests they do some research into the topic.
James Esses, 31, a former Childline counsellor who was asked to leave after raising concerns that the charity had been captured by trans lobbyists and about the lack of ability to verify the age of those using the charity’s website.
He also questioned how diligently the charity was moderating the website’s message boards.
“It’s children egging each other on to transition and suggesting they source breast binders behind their parents backs. If they are moderating this that’s terrifying,” he said.
Mr Esses previously told The Telegraph he had been contacted by Childline staff who felt under pressure to affirm children who have gender dysphoria.
A Childline spokesperson said: “The Childline message boards are a space where young people up to their 19th birthday have the opportunity to express themselves and seek as well as offer support to each other on a wide range of topics.
“These discussions are led by young people and reflect their varied viewpoints and experiences, and it is not unusual to find diverse or conflicting opinions, as you will find on any public forum. It is important before making a judgement on individual posts that the messages and subsequent responses are read in full.
“All posts are carefully reviewed before they are published online. We are confident our system of monitoring posts ensures the safety of the young people who use our service.”
