Impact of hearing loss on bullying in school-aged children

BACKGROUND. Nearly one-third (30%) of children aged 12-18 years report being bullied at school, primarily being teased or the subject of rumors. Children with disabilities such as hearing loss (HL) are at increased risk of being bullied, but little research has explored this topic.

OBJECTIVE. Assess impact of HL on bullying in children with HL versus hearing peers.

METHODS. Children with HL (8-18 years) completed the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2009, which assesses instances and frequency of bullying. We compared incidence and type of bullying in children with HL to published national data on typically-developing children from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2012.

RESULTS. Children with HL (n=55, 53% females) were mostly Caucasian (73%), non-Hispanic (85%), and averaged age 12.8 years [SD=2.3]. Participants used cochlear implants (n=44) or hearing aids (n=11). Children with HL endured higher overall incidence of bullying vs. hearing peers (42% vs. 28%). Rates of bullying in children with HL exceeded that of hearing peers for exclusion (16.4% vs. 2.8%), coercion (14.5% vs. 5.6%), and teasing (25.5% vs. 17.6%). Bullying incidence inversely related to communication competence.

CONCLUSIONS. Children with HL experience bullying more frequently than hearing peers. Public health efforts should focus on bullying prevention emphasizing tolerance of disabilities such as HL in school-aged children. Children with HL and their families should be encouraged to participate in counseling/support groups to develop coping strategies for bullying, given that victimization has long-term negative consequences such as decreased self-esteem, self-worth, and quality of life.