Social Capital, Loneliness, and Peer Relationships of Adolescents who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Abstract

There are many documented benefits of social capital to adolescents in general, and for young people who are deaf or hard of hearing social capital can potentially have a buffering effect against adverse life outcomes. Using the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (Asher et al., 1984; Cassidy & Asher, 1992) and the Looman Social Capital Scale (Looman, 2006), this research investigated changes in levels of social capital and loneliness and peer relationships of deaf or hard of hearing adolescents before attending a residential camp and then three, six- and 12-months post-camp. The camp was specifically for DHH adolescents whose primary communication mode was spoken language. The study also investigated associations between social capital and adolescents' perceptions of loneliness and peer relationships. Results indicated no statistically significant change in social capital and loneliness and peer relations over the four-time points. There was a significant association between one social capital scale, common good, and loneliness. Implications of these findings are discussed, and recommendations are made for enhancing social capital development within a residential camp experience.