Where do I go to report child abuse videos I see on social media?
Location: Connecticut, USA
A few days ago, I was on Tiktok and stumbled on a video that was very upsetting.
Description:
The tiktok is from a piercer based in Chicago, IL. In the video, he's in the process of piercing a little girl's ears (she looks no older than 10). She's with her older brother and mother, and at the start of the video she's already nervous. The mother tells her that they aren't leaving until they're done with the ear piercing and if she doesn't want to be held down she needs to chill. The girl says that she's scared, to let her go and she says "no" multiple times. The mother says that she's gonna get her ears pierced and the brother threatens that she'll get whooped if she doesn't calm down.
The piercer reaches to grab her ear and the girl pulls back and says "wait". The brother threatens her again and she continues to get more nervous. She starts screaming, repeating let me go, and struggling as her guardians hold her down. The piercer goes forward with the piercing as the child screams and her family members hold her down.
After her first ear is pierced, the brother yells at her, telling her that she's overreacting. She stays still for the second piercing but it's clear that she's upset and traumatized.
The piercer on Tiktok still has the video up on their page, as well as the location of their business, but I made sure to screen record and screenshot a picture of their tiktok account. What are the proper channels I should go to as a Connecticut resident to report the piercer and the family? I've never reported anything like this so I don't want to mess anything up. I feel like someone who performs piercings on people who don't consent, whether they're a child or not, shouldn't have a license, and it's clear that the family isn't treating the girl in the video well.