Bullying is very serious and many kids have to cope with it,
not just those with food allergies. What makes food allergy bullying especially
dangerous is that some kids use food in aggression
against other kids, and that can be hazardous to their health and might even
endanger their lives. For example, pushing a peanut butter sandwich in an allergic child's face or threatening to do so.
Obviously, any bullying that turns physical must be dealt with
immediately and stopped. Stop Bullying is a website that addresses bullying on
every level including how schools can work to prevent bullying, what kids can
do to stop bullying and signs that your child is being bullied. Many schools
have a no tolerance for bullying policy. This should definitely include food
allergies so if you have concerns, don’t hesitate to speak with school
officials. Stop Bullying's site has guidelines for working with your school.
According to the Pediatrics article, about half of kids do
not report the bullying, so you will want to watch your child for signs that
they might be having a problem. The Stop Bullying site offers a list of possible symptoms that your child is being bullied. (Not every kid with these symptoms is being bullied, but the list offers a good place to start and can spark discussion with your child.)
The fear of being bullied or teased makes some parents and kids afraid
to reveal the allergy to anyone. To me that is a very unfortunate
side effect because it has been proven that food allergy awareness helps in an emergency and can save a life. If a kid
feels ashamed of their allergies, ironically, that may make them more likely to
be bullied. Plus, kids ashamed of their allergies might not want to speak up, advocate for themselves or carry life-saving medications. Better to anticipate this
and help your child work through their feelings and role play some responses if
they find themselves in a situation where they are bullied.
Teasing and unkind comments are another story. Not all kids
with food allergies will be bullied physically, but I would hazard to guess
that many kids with food allergies are subjected to verbal remarks, teasing and
sometimes unkind comments. I wrote about post about teasing and food allergies
that you can read by clicking here.
(Food allergy-friendly company and friends, Tasterie, shared my past post on their own blog today, so thanks for spreading the word, Tasterie!)
Teasing and taunting is upsetting
and of course, it can always escalate into physical bullying, so I really like
Stop Bullying’s suggestions to help parents stop bullying before it can really
even get started. A confident, prepared kid will be able to help stop bullying
too.
What is your experience with teasing or bullying? What did you do about it?
What is your experience with teasing or bullying? What did you do about it?
