Domestic abuse exists within the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing community as well as in the hearing community. Abuse or violence towards anyone is always wrong. Some signs and types of partner and domestic abuse are more common for people that are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing.
D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people experience the same types of abuse as anyone else, such as emotional, financial and sexual. They may also experience additional signs of abuse, such as:
See more information on signs on DeafHope’s website.
D/deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may find it difficult to seek help or support for domestic abuse due to difficulties in communicating their experience and needs. Research from the University of Birmingham (2017) found that communication difficulties place D/deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals at higher risk of experiencing abuse.
Support services may lack awareness of the range of communication needs that D/deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals require that enable them to communicate confidentially. Some services that D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people require may include:
D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people may find it difficult to disclose abuse within the context of the deaf community, which is considered to be small and closely linked.
D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people could find it difficult to disclose domestic abuse as they may be reliant or dependent upon members of their household who often advocate on their behalf.
AMIS is here to support any man in Scotland who is experiencing domestic abuse. We will do whatever we reasonably can to be accessible. Our services include:
These services may be useful for D/deaf individuals who are seeking support:
