Child Abuse and Deafness: An Overview

The professional literature contains research and anecdotal in-formation on various maltreatments affecting children and youth with and without disabilities. Unfortunately, little information exists on abused children with hearing loss. Reasons relate to a lack of quantity and quality in research on this population; challenges in conducting research using sound methodological principles that consider the population’s heterogeneity (e.g., mode of communication, language level, parental perspective on deafness, educational placement); and scarce intervention services with professionals trained in the unique needs of children with hearing loss. The present article discusses types of abuse prevalent within the overall population of children and that of children with hearing loss, shares a rationale for practitioners and those training future practitioners to understand abuse among this unique population, proposes a research agenda based on existing information, and provides suggestions for supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing and abused.