title: Bullying in an adolescent and young adult gynecology population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence of exposure to bullying in an adolescent/young adult gynecology population, whether pelvic pain is an associated somatic complaint, and if health care providers are viewed as a resource.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous self-reporting survey about exposure to bullying, somatic and mental health symptoms, and disclosure patterns was given to 224 consecutive gynecology patients aged 15 to 24 years in a suburban practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of exposure as a bully, victim, witness, or combination was 80.5%. Missing school for pelvic pain was significantly greater in the bully-victim-witness and victim-witness groups. Taking medication for depression or anxiety was significantly greater in the bully-victim-witness group. No one disclosed bullying exposure to a health care provider.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gynecologists see large numbers of patients exposed to bullying. Patients exposed in combinations of bully, victim, and witness have increased frequency of pelvic pain, depression, and anxiety. Patients do not disclose exposure to bullying to health care providers.
authors.affiliation: William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA. mseltzer@beaumont.edu
authors.forename: Marlene B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Seltzer
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000295:Adolescent Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D058445:Bullying / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult