Bullying victimization in adolescents with hearing impairment

Objective: Children with disabilities may face increased social challenges among peers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between hearing loss and reports of bullying victimization among adolescents in the United States. Methods: The 2021 National Health Interview Survey was a nationally representative cross-sectional survey administered to parents/caregivers of adolescent children ages 12 to 17. The effects of hearing loss on reports of bully victimization were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models, controlling for demographic characteristics including socioeconomic status and health status. Results: Caregivers of 3207 adolescents completed the survey and their responses represented over 25 million children in weighted analyses. Among all respondents, 21% (95% confidence interval, CI 19%-23%) of caregivers reported that their child had been bullied at least once in the past 12 months. Among children with hearing loss, 34.4% (95% CI 21.1%-47.7%) were bullied. Hearing impairment was associated with increased odds of reporting bullying victimization (odds ratio, OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.03-4.07, p = 0.04) and children with hearing loss who do not use hearing aids had even greater odds of being bullied (OR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.18-4.86, p = 0.015). Conclusion: In a nationally representative survey of caregivers for U.S. adolescents, hearing impairment among adolescents was associated with increased reported rates of bullying victimization. Further research is needed to investigate how anti-bully interventions can support this at-risk group.