In today’s society, bullying remains a prevalent issue that extends beyond the schoolyard and affects individuals of all ages, including the workplace and even within families. However, certain stories serve as stark reminders of the gravity of the situation.
One such incident occurred when a three-year-old boy confided in his mother about his distress over his “horrible” hair. It came to light that he had been subjected to bullying due to his red hair, prompting his mother, Lauren Russell, to share his response online. The 28-year-old mother from Southhampton recounted an incident where she and her son, Noah Gilbert, boarded a bus, only for teenagers to begin mocking his ginger hair.
The comments were rife with statements like, “I would despise having a ginger child, I would do away with it” and “all kids with ginger hair should be handed over to social services.”
Even at the tender age of three, Noah comprehended the hurtful remarks directed towards him and became upset later on.
Questioning why he couldn’t have blonde hair like his brother Charlie, Noah expressed his distress over his hair’s reception. However, his brother reassured him, affirming that his red hair was not “horrible” but rather beautiful.
Deeply troubled by the incident, Noah’s mother took to social media to voice her outrage, sharing, “He hasn’t stopped asking me why people don’t like his hair. He asked me if I could change it for him so people will like it. I can feel my heart breaking every time he asks me. It isn’t okay to bully somebody for their hair color, not now. Not ever.”
In response, an outpouring of support and images of red-haired children flooded the comments of her post, which garnered over 18,000 likes. Some even likened Noah’s appearance to that of Ed Sheeran, Damien Lewis, or Prince Harry.
Reflecting on the impact of the bullying, Noah’s mother lamented, “This has had such an effect on Noah, it’s just unfair. I have naturally ginger hair too and I remember being bullied growing up, but not as young as three.” Noah now grapples with an acute awareness of his hair color, feeling self-conscious and yearning to be blonde like his siblings. His mother expressed disbelief that spiteful teenagers could inflict such distress upon her son.
She continued, “Since sharing what happened on Facebook, I’ve received countless messages of support from people across the UK, all expressing admiration for how handsome Noah is. Witnessing his joyful reaction to reading the kind comments was truly heartwarming.
“I hope that with the outpouring of positivity, Noah will be able to put the hurtful remarks behind him. However, I still believe an apology is warranted from the teenage boy. I’ve reached out to the high school he attends to arrange a personal apology to Noah.”
The mother also cares for Charlie, her five-year-old son, as well as her seven-month-old twins, Zachary and Jacob, all of whom have fair hair like Noah.
Noah describes his hair as “orange,” but had never felt upset about it until this incident.
Below is Lauren’s powerful and heart-wrenching post:
“Today my heart shattered into pieces.
While riding on public bus number 12, I witnessed such cruel behavior towards my 3-year-old son from a very close-minded boy who couldn’t be much older than 13. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time, and I know it won’t be the last. He’s been targeted by people of all ages.
And for what reason? Because he has ginger hair. My beautiful boy was told social services should have taken him away because his hair color is disgusting.
The boy then turned to his friend and said if he ever had a ginger child, he would kill it.
Now my little boy is only 3 and was left very confused. I feel devastated as I too have ginger hair and know all too well what it’s like to grow up being singled out and the target of such bullies.
He hasn’t stopped asking me why people don’t like his hair.
He asked me if I could change it for him so people will like it. He asked me if he could be like his brother who doesn’t have ginger hair. I can feel my heart breaking every time he asks me.
My little boy looks so sad, and I want to make it better. The reason I am trying to go public with this is because I know these cruel bullies are in the minority.
I want to show my little boy that there is more good in this world than bad.
There are kind and caring, non-judgmental people who won’t ever single him out. I ask you all to please share this and show my boy how beautiful he is.
I want to show him the good in this world with the power of Facebook.
It isn’t okay to bully somebody for their hair color, not now. Not ever. Thank you.”
We believe every child is beautiful in their own way. If you agree, share this powerful story on Facebook.