Childhood Bullying: Screening and Intervening Practices of Pediatric Primary Care Providers.
Elizabeth Hutson, Bernadette Melnyk, Vicki Hensley and 1 others
PMID 31548137WHAT IT FOUND
Most pediatric providers believe they should screen for bullying, but only about half actually do.
Providers with higher confidence in their ability to screen were more likely to do so. Knowledge about bullying did not predict screening behavior.
Key findings
01Only 52.9% of surveyed pediatric providers reported screening their patients for bullying.
02Providers who screened for bullying had significantly higher self-efficacy scores than those who did not, but knowledge scores showed no significant difference.
03When providers did intervene, they most commonly provided counseling, referred to mental health professionals, and documented the issue in the chart.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The response rate was very low (4.9%), which raises concerns about selection bias and the generalizability of the findings to the broader pediatric provider community. The sample was heavily skewed toward nurse practitioners, females, and White providers, limiting diversity and applicability to other demographics or provider types. The survey instrument was modified for this study, and the new sections were not psychometrically tested. Self-reported screening and intervention practices may not reflect actual clinical behavior due to social desirability bias.
Declared interests
Bernadette Melnyk reports being the owner of a company entitled COPE2THRIVE that disseminates the COPE program, which is mentioned in the discussion as a potential intervention. Elizabeth Hutson, Loraine Sinnott, and Victoria Hensley report no financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that increasing provider education on bullying facts will lead to more screening. The study found that knowledge scores did not differ significantly between those who screened and those who did not; instead, provider confidence (self-efficacy) and attitudes were the significant predictors of screening behavior.