Food allergy bullying

[Tesscorm]

I saw something on the news last night and thought of the kids here right away! Many of our kids have some sort of food restriction, not only allergies, that this problem would apply to many of the kids here.

It seems that there have been an increasing number of incidences where kids are using another's food allergy as a way to bully. The reporter interviewed a few kids who have food allergies and the kids spoke of their experiences. A boy and girl both told that they had been chased by bullies trying to get them to eat peanut butter sandwiches and another girl talked about bullies having hidden peanuts around the classroom so that she never knew where she might come across them.

The reporter was saying this has been an increasing trend and has happened frequently enough that schools are becoming worried about it.

I'm in Toronto, so it may not be a concern in your areas... But, I wanted to share what I'd heard! Often kids don't tell their parents about bullying issues but, as serious as any bullying is, this takes it to a new level!

:ghug:

 

[ChampsMom]

Oh my gosh Tess.. That's *awful*!!

I have friends who are severe peanut allergies - I'm going to share this!

I pulled son number 2 (13 year old) from our public school this past year because of bullying - he stayed for 3/4th of the year, but in the end was fed up - so I gave him the choice and he wanted to come home because he said it was too stressful... He's such a bright kid - it was just so unfair..

Thanks for sharing!

 

[killcolitis]

All of our schools are nut free and this is very strictly enforced but this is just so vile. Many of the kids at my daughter's school have dietary restrictions - vegan, vegetarian, allergies, gluten free etc. So things are a little easier for her but I expect she will get comments as they get older unfortunately. So sad. I hope the schools take this very seriously and I agree in the case of life threatening allergies where children are deliberately trying to hurt a child I would involve the police and possibly social services (I think children have to be seriously damaged to even contemplate doing something like this).

 

[Tesscorm]

All of our schools are nut free

I wondered about this... our elementary schools were nut free as well (not high school). I didn't understand how the kids even had peanut butter sandwiches with them??? I'd always assumed the ban on peanuts was a city- or province-wide ban??

And, yes, agree re involving the police as this type of bullying is certainly deliberate (and MEAN!)!

 

[my little penguin]

To be honest nut free schools don't mean they are really nut free.
I wish it did.
Just like Ibd
Until you live you never realize how much goes on behind the scenes
Including how much food is constantly being provided to kids in school outside of the normal lunch stuff.

Here are a couple of resources and articles about food allergies and bullying

I wish it was just something that recently happened but it has been a problem for at least the last five years we have been aware of food allergies .

Links when I get home the phone has a mind of its own

 

[killcolitis]

MLP, it's stressful enough to get the teachers to do what they're supposed to re: IBD management and diet (and it's true they definitely do dole out a lot of junk, even at our daughter's "alternative Waldorf" school which is supposed to teach healthy eating etc). I can't imagine having to have the food allergy worry on top. Their liability needs to be stressed to them as I think that's the only way they will take it seriously unfortunately.
A few weeks ago at my daughter's end of year party a parent brought in a cake with walnuts in it (grrr). Another parent (who not surprisingly, has kids with allergies but not to nuts) noticed and raised it with the teacher. No one in the class had allergies but if they had (and there are kids in the other classes with known ana allergies to nuts) there would have been a serious issue. Makes me so angry because that little mistake could have caused such a serious problem for a kid. I don't know how you manage this? I don't trust the teachers that's for sure.

 

[DustyKat]

I think I would be a nervous wreck if my kids had had severe food allergies when they went to school.

There has always been the blanket ban on peanut butter but knowing some of the parents around here they wouldn't give a tinkers cuss about anyone but themselves and would send their children to school with whatever they liked. When your children are younger you can understand other little kiddies sharing food and not knowing but to deliberately set a trap is beyond cruel and callous.

Although few one is one too many deaths at schools through nut allergies that are unintentional without knowingly setting out to do harm.

Dusty. xxx

 

[my little penguin]

http://community.kidswithfoodallerg...ildren-with-food-allergies---how-you-can-help


Just like crohn's with Food allergies you dont have a choice it just is.
YOu join support groups
Like parents of Kids with Food allergies
YOu learn the laws
you communicate with the school over and over and over again
and again
YOu teach your child how to stay safe and you do that over and over and over again

IT just is and it can be deadly
once you have seen your child in anaphylaxis nothing else matters.


But then if you have the joy of IBD to think about
less time to stress about food allergies.

 

[Mehita]

I don't think DS has ever been bullied per se with having Celiac Disease, but has most definately been left out, forgotten and excluded, contrary to his 504 plan. It's frustrating. I know some Celiac families say its a form of bullying.

DS has a really good friend with a severe peanut allergy. When his mom asked for a designated peanut free table in the lunchroom, the school acted as if she was asking for the world. Seriously, it's just a table!