The Library
Young people who are being bullied – do they want general practice support?
Tools
Scott, Emma, Dale, Jeremy, Russell, Rachel and Wolke, Dieter (2016) Young people who are being bullied – do they want general practice support? BMC Family Practice, 17 (1). doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0517-9 ISSN 1471-2296.
PDF
WRAP_art%3A10.1186%2Fs12875-016-0517-9.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (927Kb) |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12875-016-0517-9
Abstract
Background:
Childhood bullying is a major risk factor for health, education and social relationships, with effects persisting into adulthood. It affects half of all children at some point, with 10–14 % experiencing bullying that lasts for years. With the advent of cyberbullying, it can happen at all times and places. There have been calls for GPs to take a more active role in identifying and supporting young people who are being bullied. This paper explores young people’s and parents’ opinions about whether general practice should be involved in identifying and supporting young people who are being bullied.
Methods:
Two hundred six young people (85.9 % female, mean ± sd age 16.2 ± 3.2 years) and 44 parents were recruited through established bullying charity websites and their social media channels to complete an online questionnaire comprising multiple-choice questions and unlimited narrative responses. Questionnaire responses were analysed by age and gender using descriptive statistics. A descriptive analysis of the narrative responses was undertaken and key themes identified.
Results:
Young people (90.8 %) and parents (88.7 %) thought it was important for GPs to be better able to recognise and help young people who are being bullied. Most recognised the link between bullying and health. The doctor’s independence was seen as advantageous. Young people preferred completing a screening questionnaire to disclose experience of being bullied than being asked directly. They expressed concerns about how questions would be asked and whether information would be shared with parents/guardians. Parents were supportive of the use of a screening questionnaire, and most expected their child’s disclosure to be shared with them.
Conclusion:
Young people and parents recruited through anti-bullying websites and social media would welcome greater GP involvement in identifying and supporting young people who are being bullied and their families, provided it is offered in a caring, compassionate and confidential manner.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology | ||||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Mental Health and Wellbeing Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Social Science & Systems in Health (SSSH) Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Bullying -- Health aspects, Cyberbullying -- Health aspects, Physicians (General practice) | ||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | BMC Family Practice | ||||||||
Publisher: | BioMed Central Ltd. | ||||||||
ISSN: | 1471-2296 | ||||||||
Official Date: | 22 August 2016 | ||||||||
Dates: |
|
||||||||
Volume: | 17 | ||||||||
Number: | 1 | ||||||||
DOI: | 10.1186/s12875-016-0517-9 | ||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 24 August 2016 | ||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 24 August 2016 |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year