One in three kids with food allergies say they've been bullied because
of their condition

Date:
October 5, 2021
Source:
Children's National Hospital
Summary:
Living with a food allergy can greatly impact a child's everyday
life - - from limiting participation in social activities to being
treated differently by peers. While previous research indicates many
kids experience food allergy-related bullying, a new study found
that offering kids with food allergies a multi-question assessment
gives a more accurate picture of the size and scope of the problem.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Living with a food allergy can greatly impact a child's everyday life
-- from limiting participation in social activities to being treated differently by peers. While previous research indicates many kids
experience food allergy- related bullying, a new study in the Journal
of Pediatric Psychology found that offering kids with food allergies a multi-question assessment gives a more accurate picture of the size and
scope of the problem.


==========================================================================
When asked a simple "yes" or "no" question about food allergy-related
bullying, 17% of kids said they'd been bullied, teased or harassed
about their food allergy. But when asked to reply to a multi-item list
of victimization behaviors, that number jumped to 31%. Furthermore,
Children's National Hospital researchers found that only 12% of parents reported being aware of it. The reported bullying ranged from verbal
teasing or criticism to more overt acts such as an allergen being waved in their face or intentionally put in their food. Researchers say identifying accurate assessment methods for this problem are critical so children
can get the help they need.

"Food allergy-related bullying can have a negative impact on a child's
quality of life. By using a more comprehensive assessment, we found
that children with food allergies were bullied more than originally
reported and parents may be in the dark about it," says Linda Herbert,
Ph.D., director of the Psychosocial Clinical and Research Program in
the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's National and one
of the study's researcher.

"The results of this study demonstrate a need for greater food allergy education and awareness of food allergy-related bullying among communities
and schools where food allergy-related bullying is most likely to occur," Herbert adds.

The study looked at food allergy-related bullying among a diverse
patient population and evaluated parent-child disagreement and bullying assessment methods. It included 121 children and 121 primary caregivers
who completed questionnaires. The children ranged in age from 9 to
15-years-old and were diagnosed by an allergist with at least one of the
top eight IgE-mediated food allergies -- peanut, tree nut, cow's milk,
egg, wheat, soy, shellfish and fish.

Of the 41 youth who reported food allergy-related bullying:
* 51% reported experiencing overt physical acts such as an allergen
being
waved in their face, thrown at them or intentionally put in
their food.

* 66% reported bullying experiences that are categorized as
non-physical
overt victimization acts including verbal teasing, remarks or
criticisms about their allergy and verbal threats or intimidation.

* Eight reported relational bullying, such as rumors being spread,
people
speaking behind their back and being intentionally ignored or
excluded due to their food allergy.

The researchers also note that food allergy bullying perpetrators
included, but were not limited to, classmates and other students, and
bullying most commonly occurred at school.

The authors found that only 12% of parents reported that their child had
been bullied because of their food allergy and of those, 93% said their
child had reported the bullying to them. Some parents reported they had
been made fun of or teased themselves because of concerns about their
child's food allergy.

"It's important to find ways for children to open up about food
allergy-related bullying," Herbert says. "Asking additional specific
questions about peer experiences during clinic appointments will
hopefully get children and caregivers the help and support they need." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Children's_National_Hospital. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Ashley Ramos, Frances Cooke, Emily Miller, Linda Herbert. The Food
Allergy Parent Mentoring Program: A Pilot Intervention. Journal of
Pediatric Psychology, 2021; 46 (7): 856 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab019 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211005175357.htm

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