Why does lice have such a social stigma?
We have all heard about head lice and we all crunch our faces when we hear about it.Bot how is the social stigma proliferating in such a common infestation and how can we stop it?
Dr. Sheryl Gordon, PhD has been studying the impact of head lice in children and the social stigma that it creates. The logic behind it according to Dr. Gordon is that we come up with a treatment plan, whether it’s doing it ourselves or getting help from an outsider, but if the solution doesn’t work we blame the process and not long after that, the victim. That has tangible reaction such as children not wanting their peers or even their families to know, families hiding from other family members and in extreme cases, child abuse.
In a real case a mother explained, “I have tried everything and no matter what I do lice keep coming back.Sophie was not invited to a party because she always has lice.” Dr. Gordon differentiates between primary stigma,you get it when you have an undesirable characteristic (if people know about it), courtesy stigma,when someone close to you has such undesirable characteristic.
As parents, it is understandable that the first reaction against lice is disgust but how we transmit this to our children is entirely up to us. Understanding how lice transmit and how completely remove them in an efficient manner are the only solutions to the stigma. Once you know your “enemy” it’s easier to treat it and deal with it.
At LCA San Diego we ask you what you have been dealing with lice so we can get a better understanding on your child’s case and tailor the best treatment. We also make sure we understand the contact tracing: who do you typically see? It’s a possible source of re infestation. We encourage regular head screenings and we help parents and our community be educated on Head Lice so that we all minimize the stigma that it creates.