Physical Education: The real stories

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Bullied children have poorer physical and mental health than their peers. That's according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NewsChannel 15 sat down with two mothers whose kids are being bullied and picked on in part two of our special report on this kind of "Physical Education."

"Calling him names and chasing him and his friend who is also a special needs student," said Tammy Fendt, her son is being bullied.

"Keeps pushing him and telling him how much stronger he is because look I can push you," said Theresa Wright, her son is also being bullied.

Both stories are disturbing, unfortunately stories like these are all too common. As NewsChannel 15 told you in Part 1 of our special report on "Physical Education," 50 percent of kids in this country will face this fear.

Tammy Fendt's son has a disorder known as "Asperger's syndrome," or high functioning autism. People with this disorder have difficulties with social interaction.

"He does have a little different personality than many of the kids," said Fendt.

Tammy's son started at a new school this year. It's a little bigger and less familiar.

"Although he looks completely normal like any other child, he thinks differently, he understands things differently, and he is an easy target," said Fendt.

Theresa Wright's son used to look forward to going to school.

"My son's an A,B, student loves school, loves his school," said Wright. 

But a bully has changed all that.

"He's to the point where he's really upset every morning and doesn't want to go to school," said Wright.

Studies show academic work and school attendance suffer when a child is bullied.

"He tries to play it off like he doesn't feel good or he's just tired, and things like that," said Wright.

"He missed four out of five days last week and today I got called about 10:30am that he needed to be picked up because he was in the nurse's clinic not feeling well," said Fendt.

Illnesses are usually the excuse, but rarely the reality.

"Then after you talk to him he admits so and so is picking on me and I don't want to go," said Wright.

"He did come out and tell me that there was a boy that was picking on him at school," said Fendt.

Kids who are bullied are also more likely to have lower self esteem, higher rates of depression, loneliness, and anxiety.

"His perception of himself he's getting to the point where he'll go I'm not good enough, and I'm doing bad, and I'm too fat, third grade is too young to be thinking about that stuff," said Wright.

Theresa and Tammy have tried everything, but they're left without answers. Instead they have to face this nightmare each and everyday.

"His response to me was, Mom I want him to be my friend so he won't pick on me anymore," said Fendt.

Tammy and Theresa's sons do not attend Fort Wayne Community Schools, but they do attend schools in Allen County.

Studies show bullied children also have poorer physical and mental health as adults.