CNN Food allergies make kids a target of bullies

[Guest guest]

Food allergies make kids a target of bullies

By Landau, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

About a third of food-allergic kids have experienced some form of teasing,

bullying

The warning signs are similar to other forms of bullying: The child may be sad,

anxious

Parents should inform teachers and administrators right away if an incident

occurs

Bullying is in our schools, and now it's online. Why do kids do it? What can be

done to put an end to it? Don't miss an " AC360° " special report in collaboration

with Cartoon Network: " Stop Bullying: Speak Up, " starting Monday night at 10 ET

on CNN.

(CNN) -- It's tough enough having to avoid products with peanuts and other

ingredients as a kid with severe food allergies. It's tougher when someone at

school waves a granola bar in your face at the peanut-free lunch table.

That's what happened last week to a Pennsylvania fifth-grader whose mother asked

that he not be identified. The boy had experienced allergic reactions to merely

touching peanuts or breathing peanut particles in the past, so the act of

granola-waving was more serious than for other allergy sufferers.

" He said [he was] scared, and 'sad that he would do that to me,' and 'mad that

he would do that to me,' and worried that it's going to happen again, " the boy's

mother said.

Are you being bullied at school? Share your story

As the prevalence of food allergies grows in America, doctors are becoming more

conscious of a disturbing trend in children getting picked on for not being able

to eat certain foods.

According to a new study published in the ls of Allergy, Asthma &

Immunology, about 35 percent of children over age 5 with food allergies have

experienced bullying, teasing or harassment. The study, which mostly surveys the

parents of these children, said those negative social experiences, which

included physical and verbal incidents, happened because of food allergies.

" The school has to really address it. It's not the child's job to take care of

this problem, because there's already an imbalance of power, " said study author

Dr. Sicherer, pediatric allergist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New

York.

Clowes, director of allergymoms.com and a coach for parents on food

allergies, hears stories about food-allergic kids targeted by others in school

all the time.

Eatocracy's lunchtime poll: The peanut butter ban

" They'll make fun of what they're eating, " she said. " I don't know if it's

innocent or malicious, but some kids will literally threaten them with the

peanut, or 'I'm going to throw peanuts at you.' "

While bullying with regard to food allergies isn't all that different from

bullying about other attributes, children with food allergies have an additional

burden because they have the responsibility of taking care of themselves

medically already, Clowes and Sicherer stressed.

" Here you have a child who already has to deal with not eating the same things

as the other children; they already have to worry about is this meal safe for

them; about having an allergic reaction, " Sicherer said. " This is an additional

problem of someone making it even harder on them. "

The warning signs are similar to other forms of bullying, Clowes said: A child

may appear sad, upset, withdrawn, anxious or say that he or she doesn't want to

go to school. But parents should also look for changes in their kids' eating

habits: They may come home with an untouched lunchbox, for example.

" I've had parents say kids go the entire day without eating because they're

being made fun of for special foods, " Clowes said.

The latest data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention show that

about 3.9 percent of children younger than 18 in the United States have food

allergies, representing an 18 percent increase from 1997 to 2007.

None of the incidents reported in the study resulted in allergic reactions, but

the danger of them resulting in a dangerous reaction is self-evident, the study

authors wrote. The emotional toll is also great. Common consequences included

feelings of sadness or depression and embarrassment or humiliation.

This is the first study to address the scope of bullying as it relates to food

allergies, the authors said. The information about allergic individuals came

from 353 surveys, most of which were completed by parents who were attending

various Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network conferences.

More children with food allergies may experience acts of bullying and other

targeted negative behaviors than their peers, Sicherer said. A 2001 National

Institute of Child Health and Human Development study found that about 17

percent of children in grades six to 10 reported being bullied. By comparison,

50 percent of kids in that age group in the food allergy study were reported to

have experienced bullying, teasing or harassment.

The study had the limitation of obtaining most data from parents, rather than

children themselves. On the other hand, some children likely do not report these

incidents to their parents, meaning Sicherer and colleagues could have

underestimated behaviors targeted at food-allergic children.

Parents should inform teachers and administrators right away if an incident

occurs, Clowes said.

Children should try to stay away from the person who has bullied them and stand

by trusted friends, Sicherer said. Ultimately, it also takes intervention on

someone else's part to speak to whomever is doing the bullying, so children

should tell trusted adults what's going on, he said.

Dr. Stanley Fineman, a practicing allergist with the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma

Clinic, said allergists don't normally ask children if they've been bullied or

harrassed, but that this study suggests they should. In his own practice,

Fineman has heard of incidents such as a child eating peanut butter and then

spitting on a peer. He will more regularly inquire about allergy-related

incidents because of the new data, he said.

" We as physicians need to specifically ask our patients directly what sort of

bullying or harassment type situations have they had in school, because this is

something that has not been on our radar screen as it probably should be, " he

said.

The Pennsylvania mother whose child got a granola bar waved in his face last

week isn't worried about her son managing his allergies -- it's the other kids

she's nervous about. The teachers at the school have been understanding, but she

believes there needs to be more education that one person's allergy is not the

same as another's -- and her son is particularly sensitive. She also dislikes

that the school puts her son into a category called " peanut kids, " who get a

peanut-free table.

" It's very open, it's obvious who has a problem and what the problem is, " she

said. " Sometimes I don't think people understand the severity of it. "

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/28/food.allergy.bullying/?hpt=T2

[Guest guest]

Our School system deals with peanut allergies in a very simple manner. Everyone

received a note that said " a child in this class has a peanut allergy "

therefore, no bakery ordered birthday treats are permitted. We were encouraged

to send in non edible items for parties. I learned that other classes received

the very same note.... it made me wonder if there TRULY were this many kids with

peanut allergies. A 5th grader who lives next door told me that the school has

been sending this same letter out to all classes for years..... her current

class all eats peanuts- so no one in it has the allergy. I then realized, that

the school has done this to " make things simple for themselves, and for the kids

who DO have allergies " . The little kids are sad that they will not have cake

treats, but it makes it easier and safer for all.

K

[ ] CNN Food allergies make kids a target of bullies

Food allergies make kids a target of bullies

y Landau, CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

bout a third of food-allergic kids have experienced some form of teasing,

ullying

he warning signs are similar to other forms of bullying: The child may be sad,

nxious

arents should inform teachers and administrators right away if an incident

ccurs

ullying is in our schools, and now it's online. Why do kids do it? What can be

one to put an end to it? Don't miss an " AC360° " special report in collaboration

ith Cartoon Network: " Stop Bullying: Speak Up, " starting Monday night at 10 ET

n CNN.

(CNN) -- It's tough enough having to avoid products with peanuts and other

ngredients as a kid with severe food allergies. It's tougher when someone at

chool waves a granola bar in your face at the peanut-free lunch table.

That's what happened last week to a Pennsylvania fifth-grader whose mother asked

hat he not be identified. The boy had experienced allergic reactions to merely

ouching peanuts or breathing peanut particles in the past, so the act of

ranola-waving was more serious than for other allergy sufferers.

" He said [he was] scared, and 'sad that he would do that to me,' and 'mad that

e would do that to me,' and worried that it's going to happen again, " the boy's

other said.

Are you being bullied at school? Share your story

As the prevalence of food allergies grows in America, doctors are becoming more

onscious of a disturbing trend in children getting picked on for not being able

o eat certain foods.

According to a new study published in the ls of Allergy, Asthma &

mmunology, about 35 percent of children over age 5 with food allergies have

xperienced bullying, teasing or harassment. The study, which mostly surveys the

arents of these children, said those negative social experiences, which

ncluded physical and verbal incidents, happened because of food allergies.

" The school has to really address it. It's not the child's job to take care of

his problem, because there's already an imbalance of power, " said study author

r. Sicherer, pediatric allergist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New

ork.

Clowes, director of allergymoms.com and a coach for parents on food

llergies, hears stories about food-allergic kids targeted by others in school

ll the time.

Eatocracy's lunchtime poll: The peanut butter ban

" They'll make fun of what they're eating, " she said. " I don't know if it's

nnocent or malicious, but some kids will literally threaten them with the

eanut, or 'I'm going to throw peanuts at you.' "

While bullying with regard to food allergies isn't all that different from

ullying about other attributes, children with food allergies have an additional

urden because they have the responsibility of taking care of themselves

edically already, Clowes and Sicherer stressed.

" Here you have a child who already has to deal with not eating the same things

s the other children; they already have to worry about is this meal safe for

hem; about having an allergic reaction, " Sicherer said. " This is an additional

roblem of someone making it even harder on them. "

The warning signs are similar to other forms of bullying, Clowes said: A child

ay appear sad, upset, withdrawn, anxious or say that he or she doesn't want to

o to school. But parents should also look for changes in their kids' eating

abits: They may come home with an untouched lunchbox, for example.

" I've had parents say kids go the entire day without eating because they're

eing made fun of for special foods, " Clowes said.

The latest data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention show that

bout 3.9 percent of children younger than 18 in the United States have food

llergies, representing an 18 percent increase from 1997 to 2007.

None of the incidents reported in the study resulted in allergic reactions, but

he danger of them resulting in a dangerous reaction is self-evident, the study

uthors wrote. The emotional toll is also great. Common consequences included

eelings of sadness or depression and embarrassment or humiliation.

This is the first study to address the scope of bullying as it relates to food

llergies, the authors said. The information about allergic individuals came

rom 353 surveys, most of which were completed by parents who were attending

arious Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network conferences.

More children with food allergies may experience acts of bullying and other

argeted negative behaviors than their peers, Sicherer said. A 2001 National

nstitute of Child Health and Human Development study found that about 17

ercent of children in grades six to 10 reported being bullied. By comparison,

0 percent of kids in that age group in the food allergy study were reported to

ave experienced bullying, teasing or harassment.

The study had the limitation of obtaining most data from parents, rather than

hildren themselves. On the other hand, some children likely do not report these

ncidents to their parents, meaning Sicherer and colleagues could have

nderestimated behaviors targeted at food-allergic children.

Parents should inform teachers and administrators right away if an incident

ccurs, Clowes said.

Children should try to stay away from the person who has bullied them and stand

y trusted friends, Sicherer said. Ultimately, it also takes intervention on

omeone else's part to speak to whomever is doing the bullying, so children

hould tell trusted adults what's going on, he said.

Dr. Stanley Fineman, a practicing allergist with the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma

linic, said allergists don't normally ask children if they've been bullied or

arrassed, but that this study suggests they should. In his own practice,

ineman has heard of incidents such as a child eating peanut butter and then

pitting on a peer. He will more regularly inquire about allergy-related

ncidents because of the new data, he said.

" We as physicians need to specifically ask our patients directly what sort of

ullying or harassment type situations have they had in school, because this is

omething that has not been on our radar screen as it probably should be, " he

aid.

The Pennsylvania mother whose child got a granola bar waved in his face last

eek isn't worried about her son managing his allergies -- it's the other kids

he's nervous about. The teachers at the school have been understanding, but she

elieves there needs to be more education that one person's allergy is not the

ame as another's -- and her son is particularly sensitive. She also dislikes

hat the school puts her son into a category called " peanut kids, " who get a

eanut-free table.

" It's very open, it's obvious who has a problem and what the problem is, " she

aid. " Sometimes I don't think people understand the severity of it. "

ind this article at:

ttp://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/28/food.allergy.bullying/?hpt=T2

-----------------------------------