US Pediatricians' Reports of Feeling Unsafe at Work: Experiences With Harassment and Attacks.

OBJECTIVES

Examine pediatrician-reported experiences with harassment and attacks related to misinformation and feeling unsafe at work. Compare characteristics and experiences with feeling unsafe.

METHODS

Utilizing national weighted 2023 survey data (66% participation; n = 1666) from the AAP Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study, we asked about past 12-month experiences (own and colleagues or staff) with harassment and attacks (4 types: physical; verbal in person; on social media; false damaging online reviews) for speaking out for child health and safety. We created summary measures: personally experienced any harassment or attacks (yes to ≥1) and colleague or staff experienced any (yes to ≥1). We also asked how safe they felt at work (very safe/safe/neither safe nor unsafe vs unsafe/very unsafe). Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined feeling unsafe by pediatrician and practice characteristics and experiences with any harassment or attacks.

RESULTS

Thirty percent reported that they experienced any type of harassment or attack, and 49.7% reported a colleague or staff had; 10.7% felt unsafe at work. The odds of feeling unsafe were higher for pediatricians practicing in emergency department settings compared to outpatient (aOR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.99-6.47), in urban areas compared to suburban (aOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.28-3.31), who personally experienced harassment or attacks (aOR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.15-2.60), and whose colleagues or staff experienced harassment or attacks (aOR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.06-2.48).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatricians are not immune to workplace harassment and attacks with the growth of misinformation. Strategies are needed to mitigate these negative experiences, which were associated with feeling unsafe at work.