Your Bullying Experience
I get frustrated when im deaf because whenever people are on my right, i dont know what they are saying because that is the side i'm deaf on so i constantly have to tell my teachers and family and friends to go to my left side or i turn my left ear to my right and its a very hard struggle. i recently got called Helen Keller. i laughed about it cause i didnt want to show my emotions but i cried and now people call me the deaf black chick every time i approach a crowd of friends and im sick of it. i cant help being deaf i dont know anyone who goes through what i do everyday and i definitely don't deserve it.
Your Coping Experience
The bullying had....slowed down. it stopped for a while but i still freak out about it whenever it is mentioned around me. I started to not take it personally because when someone would say "Shes deaf talk louder" i always got mad but all they were doing was saying the truth. but since i was so used to being bullied about being 94% deaf in my right ear, i couldnt handle anything even if it wasn't an insult or people teasing and taunting me. i cope with bullying alot. But it slowly gets better.
Lessons Learned
- Don't be afraid to show your emotions
- If you get annoyed or frustrated, let the bully know
- Don't take everything about being deaf so offensively
- Be proud. Being deaf makes you special and sometimes people are interested. Some may want to know how or why you are deaf.
Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Greater Bullying Risk?
i dont think so. people may think being deaf is rare but it really isn't. Even if people struggle with being bullied about it or not, if your hopes are held high, it'll eventually stop.
