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. 2020 Apr 1;155(6):524–526. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2020.0263

Table 1. Experiences With and Barriers to Reporting for Personal Bullyinga.

Question Option No. (%)
Resident Attending physician
Did you seek to address bullying behavior in any of the following ways? No, I have not tried to address the bullying behavior. 18 (30.00) 42 (20.10)
I addressed it directly with the person. 14 (23.33) 86 (41.15)
I brought to the attention of my supervisor or manager. 17 (28.33) 92 (44.02)
I made an informal or formal complaint to human resources. 4 (6.67) 34 (16.27)
I discussed it with a peer. 37 (61.67) 126 (60.29)
I discussed it with a senior colleague or mentor. 16 (26.67) 90 (43.06)
I discussed with family, friends, or personal network. 35 (58.33) 125 (59.81)
I discussed with a lawyer or legal service. 2 (3.33) 31 (14.83)
I referred to police. 0 (0.00) 1 (0.48)
What was the result of the action(s) you took as identified? Complaint has not yet been finalized. 4 (10.00) 20 (12.82)
Complaint was not pursued by the receiving body. 11 (27.50) 43 (27.56)
I received an apology. 5 (12.50) 10 (6.41)
My employer made changes to the workplace to prevent this behavior in the future. 5 (12.50) 11 (7.05)
This behavior stopped. 4 (10.00) 20 (12.82)
This behavior continued. 20 (50.00) 84 (53.85)
There was retaliation for making a complaint. 8 (20.00) 38 (24.36)
I left my job. 1 (2.50) 23 (14.74)
Did you experience any of the following as potential barriers in your decision about whether to take action or not? Effect on future career options 43 (79.63) 132 (71.35)
Potential for victimization 28 (51.85) 70 (37.84)
Concern of not being believed or taken seriously 22 (40.74) 92 (49.73)
Loss of reputation for self 42 (77.78) 104 (56.22)
Loss of reputation for perpetrator 7 (12.96) 15 (8.11)
Fear of being blamed 23 (42.59) 66 (35.68)
Loss of support 31 (57.41) 83 (44.86)
The stress associated with filing a complaint 26 (48.15) 92 (49.73)
a

Per the Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised, bullying is defined as “a situation where one or several individuals persistently over a period of time perceive themselves to be on the receiving end of negative actions from one or several persons, in a situation where the target of bullying has difficulty in defending him or herself against these actions. We will not refer to a one-off incident as bullying.”4