Bullying and Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The goal of this scoping review is to evaluate and synthesize the published research regarding bullying and children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). STUDY DESIGN: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) statement was used as the guideline for conducting this review. METHODS: This review included studies assessing pediatric (0-21 years) DHH children. Seventy records underwent the initial title-abstract screening, 33 underwent full-text review, and 23 studies met inclusion criteria. During the data extraction process, an additional six were excluded, resulting in a total of 17 evaluated studies. RESULTS: Of the 17 studies assessed, nine compared peer victimization of DHH children and their hearing peers. Of those, seven studies reported that hearing loss (HL) is significantly associated with increased victimization. Two studies found that HL is significantly associated with decreased bullying perpetration. Notably, bullying in DHH children was not associated with a visible sign of disability, such as a hearing assistive device. Rather, variables such as educational setting, parental, and peer support are more likely to mediate bullying in this population. CONCLUSIONS: DHH children have a higher risk of peer victimization and may bully others less often than their hearing peers. Studies described the health consequences of bullying in children who are DHH, including sleep issues and anxiety. These consequences may have implications for the patients' overall HL management. Additional research regarding bullying interventions and prevention in this population should be conducted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 131:1884-1892, 2021.

Social Isolation and Loneliness in the Hearing-Impaired Pediatric Population: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: To review existing publications in order to evaluate the effect of hearing loss on social isolation and loneliness in the pediatric population. METHODS: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed. Eight databases were searched. Studies were independently screened and analyzed by two reviewers. Publications were included if pediatric hearing-impaired individuals and social isolation or loneliness were studied. Discrepancies were resolved by a team of five reviewers. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies were included in this review. Sixty percent of studies (12/20) found that hearing loss was related to loneliness and 64.7% found that children with hearing loss experienced more social isolation (11/17). The Asher Loneliness and Dissatisfaction Questionnaire was commonly used to assess loneliness. No commonly used tool for assessing social isolation was found. Six articles found that school type was not associated with loneliness. Difficulty communicating was the most mentioned factor leading to loneliness and social isolation. Frequent recommendations to improve social integration included facilitating interactions with the hearing-impaired and educating the nonhearing-impaired to normalize the disability. CONCLUSION: The majority of studies found that hearing impairment results in a higher prevalence of social isolation and loneliness. However, an association cannot be definitively claimed due to the lack of uniform assessment tools. This review emphasizes the need for standardized methods to assess loneliness and social isolation and highlights methods to improve social integration for the hearing impaired. Laryngoscope, 131:1869-1875, 2021.