“Why bother?”: Barriers to reporting gender and sexual harassment in emergency medicine

Zeidan, Amy; Patel, Jasmyne; Dys, Gabrielle; Dean, Laura; Curt, Alexa; Lin, Michelle; Samuels‐Kalow, Margaret

doi:10.1111/acem.14544

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Almost 40% of respondents that experienced harassment indicated to have been harassed by patients. Harassment perpetrated by a patient or their family is a serious problem that the healthcare system has been experiencing for quite some time (27)(28)(29)(30). Physicians report inadequate training in dealing with sexual harassment by patients and there are barriers for reporting incidents or even discussing these with colleagues or supervisors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…inappropriate unwanted physical contact), many behaviors are more subtle. This lack of a clear definition has been a barrier for reporting by individuals experiencing sexual harassment (29). It is important to realize that some of these unwanted behaviors have been "normalized".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to realize that some of these unwanted behaviors have been "normalized". Women in particular may not only downplay harassment, but may feel shame, guilt or stigma themselves, as well as second guess their own feelings and actions (29). Moreover, the lack of "evidence" or witnesses may stop victims from reporting harassment because they might fear a "their word against mine" situation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Harassment in the headache field: a global web-based cross-sectional survey

de Boer,

Ambrosini,

Halker Singh

et al. 2023

Cephalalgia

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Background Matters of workplace harassment are an important issue. This issue needs to be recognized and studied to prevent occurrences. These important sensitive areas of effective workplace management are increasingly gaining more interest. We aimed to identify the prevalence of workplace sexual, verbal and physical harassment among headache professionals. Methods We adopted a cross‑sectional exploratory survey approach with quantitative design. The survey was distributed electronically among headache healthcare and research professionals globally through the International Headache Society (IHS). Results Data were obtained from 579 respondents (55.3%; 320/579 women). A large percentage of respondents (46.6%; 270/579) had experienced harassment; specifically, 16.1% (93/578) reported sexual harassment, 40.4% (234/579) verbal harassment and 5.5% (32/579) physical harassment. Women were almost seven times more likely to experience sexual harassment compared to men (odds ratio = 6.8; 95% confidence interval = 3.5–13.2). Although women did also more frequently report other types of harassment, this was not statistically significant (odds ratio = 1.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.0–2.0). Conclusions Lifetime exposure to workplace harassment is prevalent among headache professionals, especially in women. The present study uncovers a widespread issue and calls for strategies to be implemented for building a healthy and safe workplace environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Harassment in the headache field: a global web-based cross-sectional survey

de Boer,

Ambrosini,

Halker Singh

et al. 2023

Cephalalgia

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“…Including reporting mechanisms for mistreatment and unprofessional behaviors as well as faculty development. 50 EM culture includes behaviors that are perceived as exclusionary Engage in creating an inclusive and supportive work environment utilizing recommendations for women in the field. [51][52][53] Beliefs about attributes of an ideal EM physician and perception of the specialty have a gendered character Deliberately broaden the visual imagery used to promote our specialty by representing diverse providers and skills needed.…”

Section: Challenges Highlighted By Students Potential Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding clerkship experiences in emergency medicine and their potential influence on specialty selection: A qualitative study

Diaz,

Balgord,

Klekowski

et al. 2024

AEM Education and Training

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ObjectivesThe specialty of emergency medicine (EM) is experiencing a significant decrease in student interest. In addition, women are historically underrepresented within the specialty at all levels of training and practice. We sought to understand how clinical experiences and perceptions of EM influence specialty selection by medical students, particularly women.MethodsUsing a constructivist grounded theory approach, we analyzed semistructured interviews with senior medical students who considered EM as a specialty. We used purposive sampling to recruit from diverse learning environments and represent a variety of experiences. Participants reflected on their specialty selection process and experiences in EM including their perceived acceptance in the work environment.ResultsTwenty‐five medical students from 11 geographically diverse schools participated. A total of 68% (17/25) identified as women. The majority (21/25, 84%) planned on applying to EM residency. We identified four major themes: (1) distressing interpersonal interactions with patients and the ED care team negatively affect students; (2) EM culture includes behaviors that are perceived as exclusionary; (3) beliefs about the attributes of an ideal EM physician and the specialty itself have a gendered nature; and (4) ease of access to mentors, representation, and early exposure to EM environment increased interest in specialty.ConclusionsOur participants express that EM causes challenges for students to accept the norms of behavior in the field, which is an essential element in joining a group and professional identity formation. In addition, we raise concern that gendered perceptions and language may send exclusionary environmental cues that may negatively impact recruitment of a diverse physician workforce.

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“…Evidence suggests that in environments where subtle acts of exclusion are normalized, individuals are impeded from pursuing their professional objectives and their career progression is affected. Gender inequality can be so pervasive that it transcends geography, culture, and age [8] , [9] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%