Context: Workplace bullying (WPB) is a series of persistent negative interactions that affect a clinician's ability to perform his or her role. Although WPB has been studied in other health professions, to date, no information exists pertaining to WPB in athletic training.Objective: To determine the prevalence of WPB in the collegiate setting and examine factors that influence its occurrence.Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Collegiate setting.Patients or Other Participants: There were 723 (329 female, 394 male) athletic trainers (ATs) aged 37.5 6 10.4 years.Main Outcome Measure(s): We collected data via the validated and reliable online Athletic Training Environment Survey. Descriptive statistics were obtained to determine a bullying score for each AT and examine the prevalence of WPB. Chi-square analyses were performed to examine the differences between (1) sex, (2) academic degree level, (3) employment title, and (4) National Athletic Trainers' Association district.Results: A total of 106 participants (14.7%) had a score of 2 or higher, indicating they were bullied in the athletic training setting. Of those bullied, 47 (44.3%) were women and 59 (55.7%) were men. There was no difference between women and men with respect to having experienced bullying (v ; of these, 38.2% (n ¼ 39) were coaches, 17.6% (n ¼ 18) were supervisory ATs, and 8.8% (n ¼ 9) were coworker ATs.Conclusions: Bullying was experienced by both male and female ATs in the collegiate setting, and a higher number of bullies were male. More research is necessary to explore WPB in other work settings.Key Words: workplace violence, interpersonal conflict, harassment Key PointsOf athletic trainers working in the collegiate setting, 14.7% had experienced bullying. Coaches were identified as the most common perpetrators, and the majority of the perpetrators were men. The prevalence of bullying did not differ significantly between male and female athletic trainers.
Context: Workplace bullying (WPB) has recently received much attention in society. Research on WPB in athletic training practice settings is limited.Objective: To determine the prevalence of WPB in the secondary school setting and explore the factors related to it.Design: Mixed-methods study. , aged 36.5 6 11.1 years with 11.9 6 9.5 years of experience took part in phase I. Ten participants (7 women and 3 men), aged 39.3 6 10.1 years with 14.3 6 8.3 years of experience, took part in phase II.Data Collection and Analysis: For the online survey, we used the previously validated and reliable (Cronbach a ¼ .84) Athletic Training Workplace Environment Survey, which included the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. The prevalence of WPB was measured with descriptive statistics, and v 2 analyses were used to compare differences between groups (ie, females and males, perpetrators' titles). The interview data were examined using an inductive content analysis.Results: Of the participants, 44 (7.8%) were empirically identified as targets of bullying, though a higher percentage (12.4%, n ¼ 70) self-identified as bullying targets. Men and women did not differ with respect to having experienced WPB, but more perpetrators were male (71.6%, n ¼ 48) than female (28.4%, n ¼ 19; v 2 1 ¼ 12.55, P ¼ ,.001). We also observed a difference in perpetrators' titles, with the vast majority of bullies being coaches or administrators (v 2 6 ¼ 33.82, P ¼ ,.001). Lack of administrator support and discrimination were antecedents of bullying. Stress, depression, and sleep disturbances were reported consequences. Participants coped with bullying by avoidance and role refocusing.Conclusions: Bullying was experienced by a small percentage of athletic trainers in the secondary school setting, a contrast to the findings in the collegiate practice setting.Key Words: interpersonal conflict, workplace aggression, harassment Key PointsWorkplace bullying of athletic trainers occurred less often in the secondary school than in the collegiate setting. Bullies were typically coaches, administrators, or parents, and women were bullied more frequently than men. Being bullied was associated with stress, depression, sleep disturbances, and self-doubt. Targets dealt with bullying by avoiding the perpetrator and refocusing on their role. Developing workplace-bullying policies and educating employees on proper workplace behavior can help to reduce the level of bullying experienced by employees.
Workplace bullying incidents occur when administrators tolerate bullying behaviors from controlling and manipulative individuals who lack respect for the athletic training professional. Several negative outcomes result from bullying interactions, including stress and anxiety; WPB is dealt with by learning to be more emotionally resilient and avoiding confrontations. Workplace training is needed to prepare athletic trainers for such negative experiences.
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