A terrified little girl was held down as her ears were pierced against her will in a jewellery shop.
South Yorkshire Police are investigating after the "distressing" video taken outside a Lovisa store in Meadowhall, Sheffield, was shared on social media over the weekend.
Since being uploaded it has been shared thousands of times and commented on by people furious over the youngster's treatment, Yorkshire Live reports.
The woman who filmed the video said store staff were advising the person holding her down how to restrain her.
The little girl was pierced "despite her screaming and pleading", the woman said.
She wrote: "This poor child fought until she ended up on the ground. Your staff should have refused to be a part of this! This is abuse!
"This child's voice is valid, it should have been heard! It should have been respected!"
In the clip the girl can be heard shouting "get off" and "no" while she is held by an adult and another tries to calm her down.
There is also a woman attempting to pierce her ears while another stands watch.
The video was shared widely after being posted and viewers were left shocked at the footage.
One person commented: "Can't stop thinking about this – so upsetting. We tell children that their bodies are their own, yet they can be pinned down and forced to have a piercing while screaming 'No!' It was a physical assault and staff were complicit."
One viewer said: "This is so distressing to watch. It's illegal to smack your kids, so how can it possibly be legal to carry out a forced piercing while the child screams in terror? Am appalled that staff went ahead with this."
Another wrote: "I say this all the time, why do mothers/grandmothers force kids at an early age to have piercings? The child is not an accessory for you to dress up like a doll. Let them get to 16 and make their own minds up. I agree this is child abuse. It needs reporting."
South Yorkshire Police have said they are aware of the video and are now carrying out enquiries.
PC Craig Crew of the Meadowhall policing team said: “We have watched this footage and understand why many viewers find it concerning. My team and I are now carrying out enquiries with the staff at the store to understand the full circumstances of what happened.
“I am really keen to trace the owner of the footage, so if this is you, or you know who it is, please get in touch.
"Please call 101 quoting incident number 1009 of 18 October if you can help. You can also contact us on live chat, or our new online portal."
Meadowhall and Lovisa have been contacted for a comment.
