In recent years, bullying has made it to the forefront of news coverage, revealing how frequently it occurs among school age children. Studies have shown that roughly thirty percent of students in grades six through ten have been involved in some sort of bullying. It can be emotionally, mentally, and physically damaging to victims. A University of Texas at Dallas study shows that bullying among school aged children with hearing loss occurs more frequently compared to their typical hearing counterparts. Whether a child is made fun of for not being able to hear well or for wearing a hearing aid, bullying is problematic and something that we need to prevent and stop. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, so now is the time to speak up against bullying.

Why Bullies Bully

One of the main reasons why bullying occurs is to gain a sense of control or power over someone else. Children often may feel that by bullying it gives them a sense of popularity over someone else. But another reason is that children who bully often themselves have self-esteem issues and engage in such behavior to feel better about themselves. Bullying often occurs due to lack of understanding of those who may be different. Children with hearing difficulties may face conversation gaps or other challenges amongst their peers. As a result, they stand out and become possible bullying victims. Even children who wear hearing aids to help them with such hearing issues are targeted because of the device attached to their ears. Knowing why children bully other is important to figuring out a path towards mitigating the problem. Equally important is understanding the impacts that bullying has on those with hearing loss. The following section explores these negative consequences of bullying.

Bullying’s Negative Impacts

We generally think of teasing or acts of physical violence as bullying, but bullying can take both aggressive, as mentioned, and passive forms. Purposely ignoring or ostracizing someone for whatever reason is a form of passive bullying and can affect that individuals’ happiness The longstanding impacts of bullying includes self-esteem issues, depression, anxiety, increased sadness, change in sleep or eating patterns, and loss of interest in previously enjoyable engagements. Some of these symptoms, like social isolation and depression are already things that people with hearing loss face. When they are purposely left out of conversations or social gatherings due to their hearing loss, the negative feelings are often times heightened. These negative consequences can be discouraged by combating bullying whenever we see it. Raising awareness, understanding and acceptance of those with hearing loss and those who wear hearing aids can be a step towards mitigating future bullying.

How to Handle Hearing Loss Bullying 

Although bullying can happen to anyone, it most often occurs among children. Children are often unaware of the consequences of their behavior. Being “different”, such as a child facing hearing loss, makes them easy targets for their peers looking to climb the social food chain. So, if ignorance is the main reason for bullying, then raising awareness and building a comprehensive response is critical to altering the impact children hard of hearing face. A lot of teasing comes from innocent ignorance, so explaining the conditions of hearing loss to children in schools is an important step towards addressing the issue. Children may not be as inclined to bully if they understand the realities of hearing loss. If your child is hard of hearing or wears a hearing aid, it is crucial to focus on their strengths in order to build self-confidence. What is your child good at? Are they creative, intelligent, or musically talented? Highlight these aspects so that they have a sense of pride in themselves.  Having a discussion with them about the possibility of teasing and highlighting the fact that there should be no shame in hearing loss could instill a sense of self-esteem in your child that they might not have built otherwise. Finding strengths can also help your child build friendships with those who share similar interests. A group of children is harder to bully than just one. Lastly, it is important for you as a parent, teacher, or guardian to be aware and proactive of your child’s life. Children won’t always come to you if they are experiencing a problem, either bullying or even hearing loss, so it’s critical to notice the signs. If you think that your children may be experiencing a hearing loss, contact Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services to set up an appointment for a hearing test for your child today!