"They're only joking..." One of the most difficult situations a CSW can face
One of the biggest myths about Communication Support Work (CSW) is that the difficult part is the signing.
In reality, some of the most challenging situations have nothing to do with language at all.
They involve people.
A few weeks ago, one of our CSWs contacted us after supporting a Deaf student in a vocational training environment. The situation is one many CSWs will recognise.
Imagine this.
You are supporting a Deaf student in a motor vehicle workshop. The atmosphere is relaxed, the tutor likes a laugh, and the apprentices spend most of the day teasing each other. At first, it seems harmless.
Then one of the students starts directing jokes towards the Deaf student.
The comments are framed as "banter". Everyone laughs.
Some comments are about the student's relationship status.
Others are designed to embarrass them.
Nothing is openly aggressive, but something doesn't feel right.
As the CSW, you suddenly find yourself facing a dilemma: Do you interpret the comment?, do you soften it?, do you tell the student the person is "just being silly"?, do you protect them from hearing something hurtful?
Many CSWs instinctively want to shield the Deaf student. That reaction comes from a good place. We care about the people we support.
The problem is that once we decide what information the Deaf person should or should not receive, we stop being a communication professional and become a gatekeeper.
That creates its own problems.
If the hearing students hear the comment, but the Deaf student does not, then communication access is no longer equal.
The Deaf student has lost the right to decide for themselves how they feel about the comment.
This is where Communication Support Work becomes a grey area. It is rarely black and white. Professional judgement matters.
One strategy we often recommend is removing yourself from the interaction rather than becoming part of it.
➝ If someone makes an inappropriate joke, avoid becoming emotionally involved. Avoid reacting. Avoid joining in. Avoid becoming the audience. And avoid any eye-contact.
➝ Instead, maintain your focus on the Deaf student and ask the speaker to repeat themselves:
"Sorry, can you say that again?"
"Could you repeat that please?"
Often the person making the comment wants a reaction. They want to be seen as funny. When eye contact disappears and attention shifts away from them, the joke frequently loses momentum.
Another useful strategy is to give the speaker an opportunity to reflect:
"Did you mean to say that?"
It is a simple question, but it places responsibility for the comment back where it belongs, which is with them, not you, or the Deaf student. Them.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not responsible for managing other people's behaviour. You are responsible for managing your professional response to it.
That means maintaining boundaries, documenting concerns, seeking support when needed, and discussing situations with your coordinator or manager.
This is exactly why feedback and professional supervision matter.
Two CSWs can encounter the same situation and respond differently.
Neither response may be perfect.
What matters is having somewhere to discuss those decisions and continue developing your professional judgement.
After 25 years of supporting Deaf people, interpreters and CSWs, one thing remains true: The situations that keep people awake at night are rarely vocabulary problems. They're the human ones, the awkward comments, the grey areas, the moments where experience, boundaries and confidence matter more than signs.
That's why we continue updating our Becoming a Professional CSW course with new lessons based on real situations experienced by CSWs in education settings.
Our latest lesson explores exactly these kinds of challenges, helping learners think through practical strategies, professional boundaries and decision-making in situations where there isn't always a perfect answer.
If you're already enrolled, log in and explore the new content.
If you're considering a career as a CSW, or you're already working as one and sometimes find yourself thinking "What should I do here?", this course was built for you.
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