To think a school can change the culture when it comes to anti-redhead bullying?

[Absofruitly]

My son has recently started secondary school (we're in Scotland) and in the small number of days he has been at the school so far, he has on numerous occasions been threatened by other children that it is 'kick a ginger day' (he has red hair) and has also been kicked once by an older child (so much for looking out for the young new starts). This all came out after school today. He has been teased about his hair colour his whole life by ignorant little so-and-sos (while being roundly admired by all the little old ladies), but it seems to have stepped up a notch now he is at secondary school.
Is anti-redhead bullying taken seriously by schools, I wonder? I have told him to speak to his registration teacher (key adult) in the morning, and I will also contact the school separately, but I wonder what can really be done. Anti 'ginger' sentiment seems so ingrained in certain quarters here, and this is a country with the highest number of redheads in the world!
What can I really expect the school to do to deal with this kind of nastiness? I really don't want my son to feel negatively towards his hair. I think it's beautiful!

Little shits. I would go to the school OP, any kind of bullying needs to be dealt with.
Tell your ds I have been dying my hair very ginger for the last 4 years and I love it. I'm sure it won't make a difference because living through bullying is fucking awful, I know all too well.

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/discrimination-against-redheads-very-real-says-author

Redheads have not had it easy over the years - appreciate not to the extent of colonialism/slavery.

OP I am so sorry this is happening to your son. Personally I'd phone the headteacher in the morning and explain. Your son sounds absolutely lovely btw

Im a head of year. At my school we exclude pupils for bullying like this. Its not acceptable.

Red hair is often seen as undesirable, people don't want their children to be born with red hair, there are lots of horrible jokes about ginger babies.
But the only thing that is actually undesirable about red hair is the horrible attitude and behaviour of ignorant nasty people towards it
Actual red hair is often really attractive.

As a quick mention red heads are being removed from films that traditionally would a redhead.

Red hair teasing is a carry back to prejudice against the Irish. Not sure how that isn't racism.

The Irish were literally allowed to starve they were considered so low (and were in fact considered to be a separate, inferior, race).

Red hair is acceptable or even liked in other parts of the world. Ask yourself why.

There was an unsuccessful campaign to make red hair a protected characteristic in the Equalities Act 2010. I wish it had been!

Gorgeous ginger here - never had any issues with name calling/bullying as my hair is awesome (and I grew up in Scotland). Always got loads of lovely comments on it as a child and an adult, so not all gingers get picked on, but I’m sorry your son is and hopefully you get it sorted soon.

YesQueen That's awful.
There's red hair in my family and thankfully nobody's had that. Usually in schools I tend to find it's any difference than is enough for some kids to be unpleasant and bullies rather than a hatred of a specific thing

Pale skin I had through school. Pale skin and freckles wasn't cool when the popular thing was to have a tan.

Redhead here and butt of comments throughout school - didn't help that I was significantly taller than most peers from nursery onwards, and by age 13, teachers too!
Met my DH at 14 - his crush at the time was Tiffany 😂 he loved my hair and at 43 it is still as red as it ever was - I love it now but probably only since around age 14..
It is hard being different at school and I feel for your son 😞

@skybluee
How many people have been killed due to their hair colour?

You might be surprised:

gingerparrot.co.uk/the-history-of-redheads-and-witchcraft/

“What came next was centuries of persecution for women, with around 60,000 of them (largely in northern areas of Britain) estimated to have been drowned or burned at the stake during the witch trials of the 1400s, 1500s and 1600s.”

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair

“Red hair was thought to be a mark of a beastly sexual desire and moral degeneration...Montague Summers, in his translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, notes that red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a witch, a werewolf or a vampire during the Middle Ages”

More recently:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redhead_murders

My daughter has never ever had any issues. I wonder if this affects boys more than girls.

I have never understood why people get tormented because of the way they look or who they are.
Where the hell does it come from?
Too fat, thin, ginger, black, brown, short,tall, gay..
What is wrong with people?

Mother of a ginger here. Sister of one too. Sister had terrible problems in the seventies and eighties at school. Son had lesser problems and a thicker skin. I hate it. It's depressing. I once phoned in to a local radio show (only time I've ever done it) to mention that the presenter shouldn't show scoff at beautiful red heads. He just didn't get it and I was left seething more than ever. And boycotted said station. Ha! That showed them!
Seriously though I think you should have a word.

I wish he was the kind of kid who would be brave enough to say that to the bullies sucker, I really do, but he's a wee quiet, awkward, soul, who wouldn't say boo to a goose.

You need to change that op. I was similar to your boy at school and the bullies never let up. If it wasn't one thing it was another. They love kids they can hurt and know won't fight back.

This is interesting. In brief, people are idiots!

owlcation.com/social-sciences/why-do-people-hate-redheads

DS2 has the most fantastic ginger hair. We're in midlothian. He has had a few comments but not many - gets more about his translucent skin!
My very first proper boyfriend had long auburn hair, it was gorgeous.

Red hair teasing is a carry back to prejudice against the Irish. Not sure how that isn't racism

I thought this too. Although I am surprised that the OP is in Scotland. My son has reddish hair (very red as a small child, definitely "ginger") and didn't have any comments about it (we are in the south of England) (other than nice ones) but he was bullied for being small instead (until he finally grew to a "normal" height about 2 years ago). Kids will always find something to have a go at.

DD has red hair. Very bright and wavy too.
No teasing at Primary but it has started in High School.
She likes her hair and is quite feisty so either ignores the comments or has a few witty comebacks up her sleeve.
But she does find it deeply tiresome.
Fwiw I think boys get teased in a crueller way by their peers and I would want the school to address it as your son is being bullied.

A good school should stamp on any kind of bullying. A school has either got a supportive, inclusive culture or it needs to make changes.

The op asked the question about culture so understanding where hair colour bullying comes from helps I think. Label it ‘mild racism’ to distinguish it if needed but the roots of this are cultural/historical.

I’m sorry this is happening to your son. I would focus on general resilience for him - he sounds like he would benefit.

I was very ginger as a child, but I’m pretty dark now - auburn some might say 😂

I was definitely teased at school for my hair. From about 6 onwards. Every insult was preceded by ginger. And still now if I get cross about something I hear “oh, it’s the hair”. FFS.

Often the kids needs to ping back the "humour" with a smart comeback.

"Oi Ginga, orange pubes!"
"Ah, at least I can dye my hair. You're stuck with that face" etc.

Used to apply this when kids took the piss out if me for other physical things eg. boobs. It works well

I once taught a lovely lad with the most amazing Auburn hair. He was teased until he rolled their insults and turned them into compliments and positively revelled in his gingerness.

Insisted on having orange coursework folders. Had orange accessories ("easy to find my stuff in school, miss!) and just turned it all to his advantage so the pathetic bullies couldn't insult him as their words just couldn't overcome his amazing attitude. He was a top kid, I bet he's gone on to do well. The other non bullying kids loved him.

He'd just retort back

"Oi ginger pubes!"
"Yup. What about it. At least I have pubes" etc.

Both my c have red hair. They are in their thirty s now but both suffered terribly when they young. They were bullied at school and if a group were in trouble ,everyone remembered the red haired kid.
Both of them developed thick skins and have a temper if pushed. My son is also very tall and is still picked on by drunks. Luckily he is a big grown up and ignores it. I hoped by now this would have been recognised as the bullying it is and stopped.