An Exploratory Study of Psychosocial Risk Behaviors of Adolescents Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Comparisons and Recommendations

• Published in: American annals of the deaf (Washington, D.C. 1886) Vol. 154; no. 1; pp. 30 - 35
• Main Authors: Coll, Kenneth M., Cutler, Martin M., Thobro, Patti, Haas, Robin, Powell, Stephanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Gallaudet University Press 2009
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescents; Aggression; American Sign Language; Animals; Antisocial Behavior; Art therapy; Auditory perception; Behavior; Behavior Disorders; Cathedrals; Clinics; Communication Skills; Comparative Analysis; Correction of Hearing Impairment; Cultural Context; Cultural differences; Cultural identity; Deafness; Deafness - psychology; Deafness - rehabilitation; Education of Hearing Disabled; Education, Special; Emotional disorders; Emotional Disturbances; Evaluation; FEATURE ARTICLES; Female; Functional hearing loss; Gender differences; Hard of Hearing; Health Needs; Hearing disorders; Humans; Identification (Psychology); Individual Development; Interpersonal Relationship; Intervention; Language Minorities; Larceny; Life Satisfaction; Linguistics; Locus of Control; Male; Medical Services; Mental Health; Mental health care; Partial Hearing; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Persons With Hearing Impairments - psychology; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Psychology; Psychopathology; Psychosis; Psychotherapy; Referral; Residential Facilities; Residential treatment; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Risk-Taking; Schools; Scores; Self Actualization; Self-Injurious Behavior; Sex crimes; Social Behavior; Social Isolation; Stereotypes; Teenagers; Theft; Therapeutic Environment; Youth
• ISSN: 0002-726X; 1543-0375; 1543-0375
• DOI: 10.1353/aad.0.0074

THE STUDY compared psychosocial risk behaviors of adolescents who were deaf or hard of hearing with those of their hearing peers in a residential treatment facility. Statistically significant differences emerged between groups. The adolescents who were deaf or hard of hearing demonstrated clinically higher scores than those of their hearing peers on the psychosocial risk behaviors of risk to others, social and adaptive functioning, need for structure, aggression toward people and animals, destruction of property, theft and deceit, and rules violations. Implications and suggestions for helping professionals are included.