In 2021 there were at least 45,060 deaf children in England (CRIDE, 2021) and 78 per cent were in mainstream educational settings. It is highly likely, therefore, that many people working in these settings will at some point meet a deaf child. Any level of hearing loss can have an impact on children, not only in terms of their communication and language development but also their social and emotional development. Deafness can be temporary or permanent, unilateral or bilateral and can range from a mild loss where a child may struggle to hear speech clearly, through to a profound loss where they have no access to speech at all. Depending on the type and level of loss, deaf children may use a range of audiological equipment (hearing aids, bone conduction hearings, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices) and may communicate in a variety of ways using speech or sign language, or a mixture of both. Bullying continues to be a risk for all children regardless of their background, but research highlights that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are potentially more vulnerable to being bullied (DFE, 2018) as studies specifically focused on deaf children have shown (Bouldin et al., 2021). The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) has produced The Impact of Bullying on Deaf Children and Young People to support those working with deaf children and young people to identify potential bullying and provide appropriate support as necessary. The resource is presented in two modules, each taking around 30 minutes to complete. The first module introduces bullying and deafness and aims to explain why deaf children and young people may be more vulnerable to bullying. Attention is drawn to issues such as children needing to use audiological equipment which can set them apart from their peers; difficulties in hearing their peers and understanding what they are saying and responding appropriately; and communicating with others using speech or sign language, though they are not discussed in detail. The module might have mentioned, for example, that audiological equipment has its limitations, which peers may not understand – the optimal working range of a hearing aid is around 1.5 m so if someone calls a deaf child from behind, from a distance, and they do not respond, this may be taken as ignoring them or being rude. Module 2 follows up with activities focused on three deaf characters and discussion of their experiences of bullying. Carmen (13 years), Barnardo (13 years) and Ursula (7 years) have different levels of deafness, use different audiological equipment and communication methods. Each character presents with a different scenario followed by questions for learners to apply their new knowledge to identify, respond to and report concerns. The scenarios look at a range of types of bullying in different settings and although the actions and reasoning behind them are explained well, more discussion around the impact of their deafness and suggestions and strategies for promoting inclusion and the understanding of deafness would have been useful. The content is interactive, with information provided in written and spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL). The modules includes a range of activities to explore the different issues and quizzes for the learner to check their knowledge. The scenarios provide an introduction to some of the challenges that deaf children and young people may face and the opportunity to apply learning. The resource is easy to navigate and goes ‘back to basics’ in defining bullying. It explores in more detail the different types of bullying with lots of questions for learners to apply their knowledge and identify specific types of bullying. The examples are extensive but general, with only one specific reference to deafness. The multiple-choice question format is the same for each scenario – ‘What type of bullying is …?’ For staff with some knowledge of bullying this might feel repetitive; however, for someone new to the subject the range of potential scenarios and behaviours presented are useful to consider. Signposting to additional information and resources from the Anti-Bullying Alliance is also provided. The content provides a valuable recap for those already working with deaf children and with some knowledge of what bullying is. It would be particularly helpful to those new to working with children and wanting to gain a better understanding of what bullying is. The modules are clearly presented and are a useful introductory resource to provide professionals with a basic understanding of deafness and the potential vulnerability of and impact on deaf children and young people.
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Jun 2, 2023
Emma Fraser 
Open Access