Consequences of Accommodation: Parental Perceptions of School Staff and Peer Bullying of Children with Food Allergies
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Consequences of Accommodation: Parental Perceptions of School Staff and Peer Bullying of Children with Food Allergies Gregory C. Rocheleau 1 & Brandy N. Rocheleau 1
# Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract Children with food allergies report relatively high rates of bullying compared with the general population. Scholars have raised concerns that children with food allergies may be targeted for bullying because accommodation policies can isolate the child or generate stigma among peers. Yet, few have empirically examined the extent to which accommodation policies relate to bullying victimization or considered bullying beyond that which is committed by peers. This study examines if having a 504 plan and having more serious food allergy conditions are related to bullying victimization among children with food allergies by considering bullying committed by peers and school staff. Data were collected using a web-based survey of parents of children with food allergies (N = 613). Results show that having a 504 plan is related to increased odds that children with food allergies are bullied by both peers and school staff. Keywords Bullying . Food allergies . 504 plan . School staff . Peers
There have been an increasing amount of children diagnosed with food allergies in recent years (Prescott and Allen 2011). In addition to increases in the prevalence in food allergies, children are outgrowing them at a slower pace than in previous years (Savage et al. 2016). Schools are thus regularly dealing with issues pertaining to the health and safety of children with food allergies in the classroom. One way in which schools in the USA frequently manage health and safety issues for children with food allergies is through the establishment of a 504 plan (a law mandating disabled youth receive accommodations in elementary or secondary education institutions in the USA that is typically applied to “hidden” disorders or conditions). These plans specify accommodations to be in place based on the distinct needs of the child and are differentiated from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that focuses on a more specific set of conditions, such as autism, ADHD, and various learning disabilities.
* Gregory C. Rocheleau [email protected] 1
Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306-0455, USA
While food accommodation policies are intended to protect children from food allergies in terms of prevention and treatment of exposures to the food allergens, there may be unintended negative outcomes as well. In particular, researchers have noted that some food accommodation policies may function to socially isolate children from their peers (Behrmann 2010; Egan and Sicherer 2016). In addition, researchers have found that some food accommodation policies may lead to bullying by marking children with food allergies as different and generating stigma (Lieberman et al. 2010; Rocheleau and Rocheleau 2019). Yet to be examined, however, is if having a 504 plan or the severity of the f
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