Bullying takes on many forms. Cyberbullying, playground bullying, and yes, even food bullying are all common forms that schools need to be aware of and in control of. Although all forms are risky, perhaps the most life threatening among them is food allergen bullying because of the reactions that can be triggered even from smelling certain trigger foods.
For some students, even the scent of peanut butter is enough to send them on a trip to an emergency room. What might be intended as a prank or seem like a mild behavioral problem to school administrators can be a deadly trick for a student with a serious allergy.
Targeting students with food allergies has emerged as a bullying problem for schools over the years. Back in 2008, ABC News reported several stories of food allergy bullying in the article “Peanut Butter and Deadly Times.” The article was focused on Sarah VanEssendelft of Mastic, NY. She shared with Lauren Cox, reporter for ABC News Medical Unit, how students who didn’t want her to sit at their table at lunch and knew about her allergy would prevent her from joining their lunch group by bringing in classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Two weeks after the lunchroom incident, a boy in the back of her class opened up a peanut butter cup and the smell alone was enough to send her to the emergency room with breathing problems. And, even after her reaction to just smelling peanut butter, some of her classmates continued to believe she faking symptoms for attention.
Many schools over the years have taken a proactive approach to the growing number of peanut butter allergies and instituted policies banning anything containing peanuts from campus. Yet, even in schools with such policies against peanut-containing foods, students still find themselves dangerously threatened by students who don't believe in the severity of the situation.
A study conducted in July 2010 showed bullying, teasing, and harassment of children with food allergies seemed to be common, frequent, and repetitive. 30% of allergic children reported being bullied because of their food allergies.
Of those bullied, 80% said it’s solely regarding a food allergy carried out at school by classmates; 21% reported bullying by teachers or other staff members; 86% reported multiple episodes; and 57% described physical events such as being touched by their allergen, having an allergen thrown or waved at them, intentional contamination of their food with their allergen, and comments/threats that provoke fear.
Parents of severely allergic students often find themselves in a struggle with school administrators to help protect their children—even in schools with policies against peanut products. In VanEssendelft’s case, her mother applied for a 504 plan—a consideration under the Americans With Disabilities Act—to have the school treat her daughter the same way it would treat children with other disabilities. The end result is now all of Sarah’s classroom’s have a no-eating policy; she gets a chaperone in charge of her medical issues on field trips; if she rides the bus, it must be swept out and cleaned of peanut residue; and if another student bullies or taunts Sarah because of her allergy, it is considered to be a case of discrimination against a disability.
If your school has a student with severe food allergies, you’ll want to establish clear policies and guidelines for fellow classmates and faculty. It’s important all students understand the severity and importance of allergies and abide by your school's policies for protecting students from possible contamination.
Susan Swearer, Associate Professor of the School of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, says, “It’s not enough to say it once. Say it 500 times: someone can die of a peanut allergy.”
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 8 No. 5 Got a Handle on Peanut Allergies? What About Glutens?
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 10 No. 7 Handling the Needs of a Student With Life-Threatening Allergies
Private School News Vol. 8 No. 5 Do You Need a 504 Plan for a Food Allergy?
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 2 No. 2 Tips for Students: Managing Bullying
