Stigma and Stuttering

Hanan Hurwitz
May 16
4 min read

Updated: Jun 5

Public Stigma

In society in general there are many imaginary problems that, when we believe them, cause untold suffering. One of those types of problems is stigma, whereby we judge others based on some characteristic of theirs that we find uncomfortable or undesirable. Stigma, which is an attitude, results in discrimination, which results in marginalization and oppression, to one extent or another, of those that are subject to the stigma. There are so many human traits that are subject to public stigma and discrimination, such as skin color, body shape, sexual orientation and identity, cultural background, and disability. The list of this insanity of discrimination goes on, causing misery, suffering and death, all completely needlessly.

Public stigma can be thought of as a manifestation of societal negative reactions to those who are perceived as different from a so-called norm, by those who, for some reason, think that they have the right to define what is normal and what is acceptable in terms of human diversity.

The Stigma of Stuttering

Stuttering is one of those human characteristics that are stigmatized. People who stutter must cope every day with the negative judgments of others as we (sometimes) struggle to make ourselves understood[1].

Children who stutter frequently experience bullying in school, and adults who stutter often face discrimination in the workplace[2] and rejection in social situations.

The result is that many people who stutter experience significant challenges in their lives, well beyond having difficulty producing speech spontaneously and effortlessly[3].

Self-Stigma

When faced with public stigma we might believe that we are somehow inferior to others due to our difference. Thus, we accept the public stigma, internalize the message, and we have self-stigma. We go from society saying that our difference is not acceptable to us saying to ourselves that our difference is not acceptable. It can very quickly become personal as we say to ourselves "I am not acceptable as I am." We might say to ourselves that we are inferior. Worse, we might believe it. If public stigma tells us that some trait or characteristic is not desirable, the internalization of that message results in us believing that we, who possess that trait, are not worthy. When we believe that we are not worthy then we have an immense internal obstacle to living the life that we want for ourselves.

With respect to stuttering, self-stigma can manifest in deep beliefs that we are defective, since the public stigma informs us that stuttering is a defect. We might have negative beliefs about ourselves, and our self-limiting thoughts and beliefs will do just that: limit ourselves. The schoolchild who stutters might avoid participating in class[4], and the adult who stutters might avoid social interactions and career paths. We do this since we fear ridicule and rejection, and we fear those because of the stigma of stuttering. Social Anxiety Disorder is one possible outcome, and it has, in fact, been related to the experience of stuttering[5].

The Problem is Not the Problem

Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean is attributed with having stated that "The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem."

The problem with stuttering is not the stuttering, but rather society’s attitude towards stuttering. That is, the problem is stigma, and not stuttering, and the problem is the struggle with stuttering, not stuttering itself - a struggle that takes place largely as a direct result of stigma.

Stuttering is a natural expression of human variation, whereas stigma is an invention of the mind. As such, it is almost trivial to realize that we, as a society, invented a problem – stuttering – and we can simply choose to stop believing in and being attached to this invention.

There is no basic law of physics that states that stuttering is a problem, or that one should not stutter, just as there is no basic law of physics that states that any other physical or emotional difference/disability is not a problem. These are characteristics that simply are. The choice lies in how we perceive them, and therefore how we react to them.

Stuttering is a completely normal way of talking for people who stutter. We can and we should choose to oppose the stigma of stuttering. Then we can stop the suffering, and we can start the healing. It really is a simple decision to make.

More information on stuttering can be found in my book:

Stuttering: From Shame and Anxiety to Confident Authenticity

Information on the book and where to buy it on Amazon can be found here:

https://onstuttering.com/

Information on the book in Hebrew can be found here:

https://onstuttering.com/hebrew/

[1] Stuttering Meets Stereotype, Stigma, and Discrimination: An Overview of Attitude Research; Edited by Kenneth O. St. Louis

[2] Stuttering and Labor Market Outcomes in the United States; Gerlach, Totty, Subramanian, & Zebrowski; Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research Volume 61, Number 7; https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_JSLHR-S-17-0353

[3] Stammering Is Still The Unacceptable Face of Disability; https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stammer-stutter_uk_5ba7f198e4b0fc9c379c100c

[4] Concealing Stuttering at School: “When You Can't Fix It…the Only Alternative Is to Hide It”; Gerlach-Houck, Kubart, & Cage; Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools Volume 54, Number 1; https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-22-00029

[5] Social anxiety disorder and stuttering: Current status and future directions; Iverach and Rapee; Journal of Fluency Disorders Volume 40; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094730X13000648

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