From Bullying to Career Change: Lived Experiences of Indian Women Who Stutter

Purpose: Given the limited research on Indian women who stutter, this qualitative study aimed to describe experiences of bullying and stigma, communication-related coping (safety) behaviors, and career pathways among Indian women who stutter with professional educational backgrounds. Method: Ten Indian women who stutter, aged 30–40 years and members of a self-help group, participated in in-depth semistructured interviews. The interviews focused on experiences of bullying during school and college, coping strategies for communication, and career histories. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common themes across participants' interviews. Results: Most participants reported experiencing bullying during their educational years. Eight participants described changes in their career paths, often moving into occupations perceived by participants as less speech-demanding than their original fields of academic training. Two participants who reported no experiences of bullying continued in their original professions. Participants also described a range of communication-related coping behaviors, with some behaviors reported only by women who had experienced bullying. Conclusions: The findings illustrate how early bullying experiences, communication coping behaviors, and career choices are interconnected in the lives of Indian women who stutter. While causal relationships cannot be established, the results highlight the importance of supportive environments that enable women who stutter to pursue and sustain their chosen career paths.