title: Resident experience of abuse and harassment in emergency medicine: ten years later.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 1995, a Society for Academic Emergency Medicine in-service survey reported high rates of verbal and physical abuse experienced by Emergency Medicine (EM) residents. We sought to determine the prevalence of abuse and harassment 10 years later to bring attention to these issues and determine if there has been a change in the prevalence of abuse over this time period.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of abuse and harassment in a sample of EM residencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-section survey of EM residents from 10 residencies. EM residents were asked about their experience with verbal abuse, verbal threats, physical threats, physical attacks, sexual harassment, and racial harassment; and by whom. The primary outcome of the study was the prevalence of abuse and harassment as reported by EM residents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 196 of 380 residents (52%) who completed the survey. The prevalence of any type of abuse experienced was 91%; 86% of residents experienced verbal abuse, 65% verbal threats, 50% physical threats, 26% physical attacks, 23% sexual harassment, and 26% racial harassment. Women were more likely than men to encounter sexual harassment (37% [38/102] vs. 8% [7/92]; p < 0.001). Racial harassment was not limited to minorities (23% [16/60] for Caucasians vs. 26% [29/126] for non-Caucasians; p = 0.59). Senior residents were more likely to have encountered verbal and physical abuse. Only 12% of residents formally reported the abuse they experienced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abuse and harassment during EM residency continues to be commonplace and is underreported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Siu Fai
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Tanuja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhoj
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lent
authors.forename: Jocelyn Freeman
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Garrick
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greenwald
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haber
authors.forename: Malini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prodany
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dickman
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cowan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014705:Verbal Behavior