School, eczema and bullying

We learn at school. What we learn is not always helpful.

Neither bullying nor eczema is rare at school.

One in five. That’s 20%.

Nottingham Support Group for carers of children with eczema report

• One in five children in the UK has eczema.
• One in five mothers say that their kids have been bullied at school because of their eczema.

It is miserable enough to have itchy, sore skin that prevents one doing stuff, and needs constant treatment with creams and ointment. But just when it's time to learn about getting on with others outside the warmth and comfort of home, along comes the finger pointing, questioning and teasing that children seem expert at. A child with eczema can have more, much more to deal with than the eczema itself.

Self-confidence and self esteem plummet and avoidance sets in. Friendships become stretched, social isolation becomes the norm, and refusal to go to school when eczema flares seems understandable.  

These experiences as a child at school with eczema can have devastating effects, both then and later. It is common for adults, from all walks of life, to report unhappy memories of coping with eczema at school. These memories underpin lasting attitudes that go with having chronic eczema, and that can complicate its effective treatment.


See also:

• From living with to living without eczema
• Habit reversal for passive pessimissm
• Quality of life and Atopic Eczema

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