In one of the most disturbing videos I have seen in quite some time, a woman - named as the mother - is seen holding down her screaming baby as she forces it to get a tattoo. The baby is clearly seen crying as it squirms and struggles to get away from the needle jamming into his arm.

The video has gone viral, and sources suggest the people featured in the video are from Cuba.

In it the unidentified woman, who appears to be in her 30s, can be seen pinning the child him to her chest while the tattoo artist completes the design. At one point, she is heard saying “mire, mire” – Spanish for “look” – as the child continues to scream in agony. It is believed that the controversial procedure took place in Havana, Cuba.

[via Inquistr]

It is unclear as to whether this is common practice within the family's culture, or if it is part of a UNICEF documentary as suggested by viewer Brittany Paul:

It is actually part of a 45 minute UNICEF video on child trafikking. This is an incredibly common practice in countries where children are abducted and sold into the sex and drug trade. The practice of branding allows the child to be returned to their families in the event that they are resuced. Children are often taken before they are old enough to know common identifiers about themselves and before this practice would frequently end up in the Foster care system.

According to Inquistr, a search for the above mentioned yielded no results.

Some have argued that babies getting their ears pierced is just as brutal, but to me there is a difference between quick sharp pain that subsides rather quickly - and extended duration of a needle unapologetically jamming in and out of a baby's arm; not to mention the after-effects.

Regardless, this video makes me angry - and hopefully with this video going viral so quickly, if indeed this child is being mistreated, actions will be taken to locate him, and take him out of harm's way.

Mother Giving Her Baby Boy A Tattoo (WARNING: VERY DISTURBING VIDEO)

More From Hot 107.9