Impact of a Romantic Relationships Counseling Group Project on Deaf Male Adolescents in a Deaf School

Abstract

To date, limited research has been conducted on and few educational tools exist regarding the romantic relationships of deaf adolescents. Although deaf male adolescents are supposed to pursue partners according to social norms, they are often afraid of expressing their feelings and being rejected. In particular, deaf male adolescents at deaf schools are accustomed to following their superiors and suppressing their autonomy. This study established a group counseling project to discuss the romantic relationships of deaf male adolescents in a deaf school, and understand the impacts of the counseling to later refine the project. The group was facilitated by three leaders who were assisted by a sign language interpreter, and ran for a total of 25 h over 12 sessions. Eight male adolescents joined the group. A mixed-method design, which emphasizes a qualitative approach, was adopted to collect and examine the data. Interviews with the group members and the teachers of members were conducted for qualitative content analysis, supplemented with score changes in the members’ satisfaction between the midterm and final group counseling sessions. The results indicated that joining the group helped the deaf male adolescents learn new ways to care for their partners, improved their interactions with partners, peers, and teachers, and enhanced their esteem for themselves and other people. Finally, suggestions of themes to explore in the group, and the leadership skills required for romantic relationship group counseling targeted at deaf male adolescents, are provided.