12yo girl receives death threats for being a redhead

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Nicole Nagington was so distraught she even dyed her long locks blonde after being called ‘a ginger b****’ by the five yobs.

Her father, Ian, returned home to find his ‘inconsolable’ daughter bleaching her hair in a desperate bid to fit in after being threatened.

But her new appearance failed to stop the bullies who sent her seven poison pen letters in one day before punching her in the playground.

One letter, scrawled on school notepaper, read: ‘You're still a ginger b****. All gingers should die.’

They also targeted Nicole’s Facebook page, warning: ‘We’re going to get you.’

Her distraught parents decided to withdraw Nicole from Phoenix School, in Telford, Shorpshire, six weeks ago fearing for her safety.

‘I'm used to being made fun of for having ginger hair because I've had it my whole life but this was much, much worse. I thought they'd kill me.’

Since the attacks, Nicole, who has three brothers and three sisters, has been too scared to leave her home, in Telford, Shropshire, alone.


bbm

poor kid, her hair is so pretty too.
 
huh ?? I'm a readhead and have been all my life.. So are 50% of my family,send those bullies to Massachusetts to visit us.:dance:
 
One of the problems is the media, which often negatively portrays gingers. There was an episode of South Park some time ago that featured gingers being bullied that probably led to plenty of bullying among the younger set.

There are reasons why shows like South Park are 17+, and it's not just the themes and language. South Park is usually satirical in nature, and most children have yet to develop the sort of thinking needed to understand satire. Have a 12 year old read "A Modest Proposal" by Swift and ask them what the story is about. It will definitely be different than what an adult would come up with.

Sadly, our children are consumed by media, including that which is inappropriate for them, and are able to access it far too easily. South Park, for example, can be streamed online free of charge, with every episode except the latest on their website. Don't count on filters for online content either--children can often get around them fairly easily (and if they can't, a friend often will do it for them). Many children have computers, including portables, in their rooms, and those with iPod Touches or other small web-capable devices can stream it without anyone really knowing. Also, don't forget about TVs--a lot of children have these in their rooms too.

I did watch the ginger episode on SP's website and could see how it would lead to bullying. I viewed it from a psychological perspective and thought about how a child would perceive it as it played. While it does ultimately show the bully how it feels to be bullied, a child would not see this in the episode and would instead just get the message of "let's make fun of anyone with red hair and freckles" from it. The emotional intelligence of a typical child is not high enough to comprehend the "moral of the story" (and I use that term loosely when referring to South Park, even though the show occasionally does present some sort of moral value in the end--which is, again, not clearly visible to children in the overwhelming majority of episodes).

This may sound like an attack on South Park, but it's actually aimed at all media. It's not just a single cartoon show intended for adults that is causing bullying problems in regards to gingers. Books, movies, and online sites also put gingers down for no apparent reason. The gingers are stereotyped in many ways, just like other groups are falsely stereotyped (blondes as dumb, Japanese people as math whizzes, African-Americans as being into hip-hop music, etc).

I think in the end it probably boils down to jealousy, which leads to bullying. Let's face it--red hair is cool. When I was in high school, we voted the boy with red hair as "best hair" as a senior superlative. I know several girls who dyed their hair red, and those girls who made fun of the 12 year old in England probably will do the same some day.

While the media can be blamed to some extent, I want to know--where were the school officials in this case? I'm not all that familiar with the way bullying is handled in British schools, but I'd imagine they'd have guidance counselors over there--who really should be counseling the bullies as well as the bullied. Where is the intervention on the part of the teachers, aides, administrators, etc who are observing this?

My prayers are with this girl, I hope she is able to overcome her fears and live a good life free of teasing and worry about being hurt if she leaves her house. She sounds like a good kid and I hope she's got some supportive peers in her life who accept her for who she is, not because of her hair color.
 
I worry about this for my nephew. He just turned 11, has red hair, overweight, only child (so he is a bit anti-social, plays way to many video games, etc.). I think he may have a bit of a hard time when he hits high school.

I know that being bullied is part of growing up but it's gotten a bit out of control. Poor kids!
 
I was teased unmercilessly for having red hair when I was in middle school. Back then everyone just said to "ignore" it. Even when the boys pulled my dress up at the bus stop? It was wrong on so many levels.

My son was also teased - even worse than I - for having Asperger's Syndrome.

I am glad for this forum and for people who stand up and say ENOUGH! to bullying!!!
 
This is honestly the first I have ever heard the term 'ginger'. I think her hair is beautiful. Funny how kids react and behave sometimes.... and I don't mean to lighten bullying. The thought crossed my mind because as adults sooo many women color their hair red or auburn. And lots of men are attracted to red heads because there are fewer red heads, especially natural ones, than other hair colors.

I hope dad explains to her bully's do this because there is something they hate/don't like about themselves and don't have the means to deal with their self hatred/dislike, thus they have to push it off onto someone else.

JMO
 
That is really shameful! Poor thing, and she is so cute and pretty too. I hope the message gets out to these bullies that THIS IS NOT COOL OR OKAY!

ETA - Just took a quick look back at this child, and I think those 5 girls are extremely jealous of her beauty. She's a gorgeous little thing. I hope things get better for her.
 
It is true that redheaded people are somewhat of a rarity in the entirety of the human race.

I am a redhead and my son is also. He is being bullied for his fair skin by darker-skinned children.

You are not alone.
 
It is true that redheaded people are somewhat of a rarity in the entirety of the human race.

I am a redhead and my son is also. He is being bullied for his fair skin by darker-skinned children.

You are not alone.

I once read that redheads consist of 6% of the world's population. We are the TRUE minorities!

I've heard the term "ginger" before. I thought it sounded kind of pretty and my son told me it is not a nice term for redheads. :(
 
When my son was a baby, I was constantly told what a beautiful child he was because of his red ringlets. But then, I also got told by so many women that they wished for a child with red hair, but never got "it."

In fact, I'll never forget this one woman's comments to me in a grocery store in front of her little girl. She literally said "I wished she had been a redhead, but she wasn't!"

So, I have to conclude it is a matter of envy, jealousy.
 
I once read that redheads consist of 6% of the world's population. We are the TRUE minorities!

I've heard the term "ginger" before. I thought it sounded kind of pretty and my son told me it is not a nice term for redheads. :(


Kimster, I don't think it was considered a derogatory term until that "Southpark" program made it so. But I could be wrong.
 
There's a major difference between ribbing people and bullying but death threats over someones looks? It's madness.

I know the feeling though, I remember being punched in the head at school and when I got up off the ground I wanted to know what the hell that was for and the reply? "I dont like the way you look".

Bullying has always been out of control, I believe the current "spate" of it is more like another form of abuse that children have suffered - people are finally talking about it and doing something about it.
 
Kimster, I don't think it was considered a derogatory term until that "Southpark" program made it so. But I could be wrong.

Just wanted to chime in that thanks to Southpark, the kids do call them "Gingers" and I know recently here in our town the middle schoolers were going on Facebook talking about "Kick a Ginger Day". Don't know if that exact slogan came from Southpark, but it sure sounds like something they picked up from it. Ridiculous. Kids will find any excuse to be mean - my son has had issues just because he is relatively small.
 
That was featured on the E! bullying expose briefly, the kick a ginger day. It almost has to be a derivative of the South Park episode, for unrelated schools to have such a day.
 
my son is red headed too. Fair skin, beautiful blue eyes...I remember as a child he ask me why is it only lil ole ladies like my hair? :) I thought it was so cute! He's in middle school and he too was being teased about his hair. He ask me if he could color it. I of course didn't want this because he has such beautiful hair but I agreed he could color it brown. So for now he's a brunette. He says he's never going back.
 
Just wanted to chime in that thanks to Southpark, the kids do call them "Gingers" and I know recently here in our town the middle schoolers were going on Facebook talking about "Kick a Ginger Day". Don't know if that exact slogan came from Southpark, but it sure sounds like something they picked up from it. Ridiculous. Kids will find any excuse to be mean - my son has had issues just because he is relatively small.

Yep and a redhead boy at my daughter's ms got in a fight after school about it.
 
When my son was a baby, I was constantly told what a beautiful child he was because of his red ringlets. But then, I also got told by so many women that they wished for a child with red hair, but never got "it."

In fact, I'll never forget this one woman's comments to me in a grocery store in front of her little girl. She literally said "I wished she had been a redhead, but she wasn't!"

So, I have to conclude it is a matter of envy, jealousy.

I openly admit to having dyed red hair, I wanted red hair my whole life! Blame it on little Orphan Annie, The Little Mermaid, and Anne of Green Gables...I really want redheaded children!

But I agree, it most likely is jealousy
 
KK is a redhead, the most beautiful shade of red I have ever seen and the most sparking blue eyes to go along with it (can you tell I"m a mom?)....she has women come up to her in the stores, on the streets, and tell her how beautiful she is and that they would pay hundreds of dollars to get her color hair. She loves being a red head and enjoys the attention she gets for it.

Have the kids ever teased her about it? Yeah, the typical idiots who weren't brought up with manners. Those are usually the one. One kid called her a ginger, and she turned around to him in class, in front of everyone and said "Wow - how original! Can't you do better than that you moron"? She said everyone in the class clapped for her and laughed at the kid who said it............

Love my kk!!!!!
 
Kimster, I don't think it was considered a derogatory term until that "Southpark" program made it so. But I could be wrong.

This is what I always thought too concentric. I thought SouthPark made up the term "ginger". I also thought that it was a play on the "n" word since they just mixed up the first three letters. I really hate that show and hate that they have caused stress and bullying on children who have red hair.
 

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