Ontario parent concerned about 'allergy bullying'
ShepherdsDog @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:21 pm
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/st ... lergy.html
$1:
"This boy that was standing beside me whispered in my ear, he touched me on the shoulder, and he said 'I ate nuts for snack,'" said Prevost. "And I was kind of worried that he did."
Allergy bullying was assault, says advocate
"In effect it's bullying or threatening with a weapon," she said.
Elizabeth Goldenberg, an allergy safety advocate and lawyer based in London, Ont., said schools need to do more to protect children from what she calls "allergy bullying" and said if certain steps aren't taken, they could find themselves liable for failing to protect the children.
"That child who was touched around his collar, he was technically assaulted," said Goldenberg, who has a son with a tree nut allergy.
Allergy bullying was assault, says advocate
"In effect it's bullying or threatening with a weapon," she said.
Elizabeth Goldenberg, an allergy safety advocate and lawyer based in London, Ont., said schools need to do more to protect children from what she calls "allergy bullying" and said if certain steps aren't taken, they could find themselves liable for failing to protect the children.
"That child who was touched around his collar, he was technically assaulted," said Goldenberg, who has a son with a tree nut allergy.
I'm sorry but if the child's risk of analphylaxis is severe enough to be bbrought on by a mere touch or breath, then perhaps homeschooling is the best alternative.
People have gone way overboard in their reponse to nut allergies. It used to be that that kid just didn't eat foods containing nuts or peanuts, then it became nut free classrooms and schools. Next, it will be, parents with kids who have severe reactions asking that schoolmates and classmates not eat nut/peanut products at home.
The 'assailant'
in question is in Grade Two and doesn't understand what anaphylaxis is and only knows no one in the class/school can have nuts or peanuts, a popular snack, because of Nevin. What happens if I tell him I just ate nuts? Will he freak out...will he turn into a monster....will he start to twitch and squirm...will he turn purple? I want to see what happens...more out of curiousity than malice
sandorski @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:31 pm
It's a real problem. It may be annoying to us without these allergies, but it's Life/Death with those who have them. The bigger question should be why so many people are developing such allergies.
ShepherdsDog @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:34 pm
$1:
The bigger question should be why so many people are developing such allergies.
perhaps GM foods...certain herbicides, antibiotics and pesticides could play a factor. These food allergies were uncommon and not as severe once upon a time.....not so long ago
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:42 pm
A few years ago, I was reading that there is a possible link between peanut allergies and processed soy products.
ShepherdsDog @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:07 pm
peanut allergies are virtually unheard of here. And both soy and peanuts form a large part of the Asian diet....mind you Asian eat huge amnounts of simple carbs(white rice and white flour) and diabetes was realtively unknown before they started consuming Western foods.
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:57 pm
ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
peanut allergies are virtually unheard of here. And both soy and peanuts form a large part of the Asian diet....mind you Asian eat huge amnounts of simple carbs(white rice and white flour) and diabetes was realtively unknown before they started consuming Western foods.
In all fairness, the Asians have been consuming soy forever so they may not have any sensitivity to it. I also specified "processed" soy products. I don't mean Soya sauce. I mean milk, chocolate etc. Basically using soy to entirely replace certain foods.
As I said I read this a few years ago. The thinking behind the theory came about because someone noticed that peanut allergies started becoming a problem as processed soy based foods became more popular.
Apparently, they had enough preliminary information to suspect breast milk from mothers that consumed processed soy products and/or the soy based infant formulas were responsible. And of course, like any other allergy, not everyone is susceptible, so just because someone may have been fed one or the other wasn't a guarantee they'd develop the allergy.
I haven't heard anything about it since so it may very well a dead end or they may be still be studying it before saying anything definitive, but it's the most plausible explanation I've heard so far.
Think about it. There's more and more twits out there that won't have anything to do with dairy products or meat because they think it's mean to the animals, so they're likely "replacing" those foods with soy, like soy milk and tofu turkey f'rinstance.
Then there are those that are unlucky enough to be allergic to dairy in the first place who may be eating processed soy-based foods, as well as those who are concerned about breast cancer, as studies HAVE shown that soy can indeed help reduce the risk or inhibit the growth of breast cancer.
Actually this is an anti-soy rant as I'm heavily invested in Dairy
ShepherdsDog @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:03 pm
I hate soy milk(tastes like grass juice) and most soy products
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:55 am
ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
I hate soy milk(tastes like grass juice) and most soy products
omg me too. I like soya sauce on my rice and that's about it
Bruce_E_T @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:00 am
sandorski sandorski:
It's a real problem. It may be annoying to us without these allergies, but it's Life/Death with those who have them. The bigger question should be why so many people are developing such allergies.
That is true. As I recall as an child (50's 60's) I don't think I had even heard of food allergies. I think it must be something to do with how food is processed or new foods introduced as humans could not have changed much on the genetic level in that time.
The whole thing is really so complicated we never find out what exactly leads to what. Soy, mentioned later in the thread, may be a good suspect as it is a new food in the system and is widespread in processed foods. Also possible preservatives, food colouring, emulsifiers, processed grains, artificial flavours etc,
All I can see to do is try to stick as much as possible to whole, natural foods and hope for the best.
Dayseed @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:25 am
I just don't like it when people blow things waaaay out of proportion. The lawyer in question should do her homework, because her son was not assaulted, technically or otherwise.
Assault is made out when there is a deliberate application of force; mere touch doesn't rise to that occassion. Otherwise, everybody who elbows their way onto a crowded subway commits a thousand offences on a single trip.
Secondly, her child is in grade 2. That makes him 7 years old. You can't commit an offence in Canada if you're 11 and under because, in part, the kid can't form the requisite intent. Also, a kid under 11 can't be prosecuted anyway.
People need to quit their rhetoric to inflame people into supporting them. I'm sorry her kid has a peanut allergy, I'm sorry she feels she can't adequately protect him.
But I also don't think running to the papers with a 7 year old's unfounded allegation supporting charges of assault and potential lawsuits against education board's for negligence is the hallmark of a sound mind.
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:32 am
Dayseed Dayseed:
I just don't like it when people blow things waaaay out of proportion. The lawyer in question should do her homework, because her son was not assaulted, technically or otherwise.
Assault is made out when there is a deliberate application of force; mere touch doesn't rise to that occassion. Otherwise, everybody who elbows their way onto a crowded subway commits a thousand offences on a single trip.
Secondly, her child is in grade 2. That makes him 7 years old. You can't commit an offence in Canada if you're 11 and under because, in part, the kid can't form the requisite intent. Also, a kid under 11 can't be prosecuted anyway.
People need to quit their rhetoric to inflame people into supporting them. I'm sorry her kid has a peanut allergy, I'm sorry she feels she can't adequately protect him.
But I also don't think running to the papers with a 7 year old's unfounded allegation supporting charges of assault and potential lawsuits against education board's for negligence is the hallmark of a sound mind.
Assault is made out when there is a deliberate application of force; mere touch doesn't rise to that occassion. Otherwise, everybody who elbows their way onto a crowded subway commits a thousand offences on a single trip.
Secondly, her child is in grade 2. That makes him 7 years old. You can't commit an offence in Canada if you're 11 and under because, in part, the kid can't form the requisite intent. Also, a kid under 11 can't be prosecuted anyway.
People need to quit their rhetoric to inflame people into supporting them. I'm sorry her kid has a peanut allergy, I'm sorry she feels she can't adequately protect him.
But I also don't think running to the papers with a 7 year old's unfounded allegation supporting charges of assault and potential lawsuits against education board's for negligence is the hallmark of a sound mind.
Actually, when I read the article the first thing that popped into my head was that Simpsons episode where Lisa'a lawyer (Gloria Allred) shouts out, "That's assault. That is assault!"
sandorski @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:08 pm
Dayseed Dayseed:
I just don't like it when people blow things waaaay out of proportion. The lawyer in question should do her homework, because her son was not assaulted, technically or otherwise.
Assault is made out when there is a deliberate application of force; mere touch doesn't rise to that occassion. Otherwise, everybody who elbows their way onto a crowded subway commits a thousand offences on a single trip.
Secondly, her child is in grade 2. That makes him 7 years old. You can't commit an offence in Canada if you're 11 and under because, in part, the kid can't form the requisite intent. Also, a kid under 11 can't be prosecuted anyway.
People need to quit their rhetoric to inflame people into supporting them. I'm sorry her kid has a peanut allergy, I'm sorry she feels she can't adequately protect him.
But I also don't think running to the papers with a 7 year old's unfounded allegation supporting charges of assault and potential lawsuits against education board's for negligence is the hallmark of a sound mind.
Assault is made out when there is a deliberate application of force; mere touch doesn't rise to that occassion. Otherwise, everybody who elbows their way onto a crowded subway commits a thousand offences on a single trip.
Secondly, her child is in grade 2. That makes him 7 years old. You can't commit an offence in Canada if you're 11 and under because, in part, the kid can't form the requisite intent. Also, a kid under 11 can't be prosecuted anyway.
People need to quit their rhetoric to inflame people into supporting them. I'm sorry her kid has a peanut allergy, I'm sorry she feels she can't adequately protect him.
But I also don't think running to the papers with a 7 year old's unfounded allegation supporting charges of assault and potential lawsuits against education board's for negligence is the hallmark of a sound mind.
Could be, but it also depends on why/how the kid in question did it. Having once been a kid, Bullying could certainly occur the way described.
sandorski @ Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:09 pm
ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
I hate soy milk(tastes like grass juice) and most soy products
Being Lactose Intolerant, Soy Milk is awesome IMO. Have only tried the flavoured kinds and it tastes close enough to Cows Milk to me.
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:28 am
sandorski sandorski:
ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
I hate soy milk(tastes like grass juice) and most soy products
Being Lactose Intolerant, Soy Milk is awesome IMO. Have only tried the flavoured kinds and it tastes close enough to Cows Milk to me.
Yeah, in that "frog's legs taste just like chicken" kind'a way
Guy_Fawkes @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:26 pm
The kid may develop some topical reaction, but his throat wont close up because a kid who ate peanuts breathed on him or touched him. You'd think the parents would be smarter than this.
I agree with Shep, if you are so worried that your child will die when he steps outside maybe you should put him in a bubble.