Am I Being Bullied Over an Allergy?

“Carlo, get to work, or I’ll come over there and force-feed you a peanut.”

Inside, I was a frightened and ashamed 10-year-old again, eyes darting, checking and rechecking the food before me, the food I knew was safe.

I was very lucky. I was never physically bullied, and nobody ever tried to make me eat something to which I was allergic. But that doesn’t mean that I was free from being bullied about my food allergies. Rather than a physical approach, though, my bullies preferred a more psychological approach.

The closest I came to ever being in physical danger was when one of my classmates, after an argument, threatened to “poison my drink with dairy.” Needless to say, I wasn’t afraid for my life, but I was still crushed on the inside-Carlo, age 17 on being bullied for his food allergies. more stories here

Food allergy bullying has become such a concern that America’s largest food allergy advocacy group has released a public service announcement about it.

A a childcare provider, you have the opportunity to teach children from a young age to respect and treat others with kindness, especially those who are different from others. Think for a moment as you watch this video about how YOU can help the children in your class be kind to those with food allergies.

Understanding food allergies can save a life.

Take the allergy course here!