June 20, 2002 CHICAGO (AP) -- The American Medical Association on Wednesday adopted an anti-bullying measure urging doctors to be vigilant at identifying at-risk patients.
The policy includes tips to help doctors and parents question children on whether they've been victimized. It also means the AMA will work to change attitudes that tolerate bullying and push for federal research into prevention programs.
While bullying has been viewed as an "inevitable part of growing up," accumulating research suggests that many youngsters who bully have psychiatric or emotional disorders that may be overlooked by physicians, the measure suggests.
"There should be zero tolerance for bullying behavior," said AMA board member Dr. Ronald Davis.
The AMA adopted the policy at the annual meeting of the 552-member House of Delegates, in which Florida endocrinologist Yank D. Coble Jr., took the helm as the association's 157th president.
Ted Feinberg, assistant executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists, said having an influential group like the AMA take firm stand against bullying may lead to solutions.
"No one group is going to have the capacity to solve the problem," but with the AMA joining the fight, "we have a better shot," Feinberg said.
Dr. Carolyn Robinowitz, a member of the council that drafted the new policy, said at least 10 percent of U.S. children have either been victimized or are bullies themselves, and many more are indirectly affected by observing the disturbing behavior in others.
The policy lists symptoms that doctors and parents should watch for, including increased school absences, frequent crying, low self-esteem, lack of empathy and unexplained bouts of rage or sullenness. Physical symptoms may include recurrent sleep problems, bed-wetting or headaches.
Also on Wednesday, AMA delegates also welcomed their new president, 65-year-old Dr. Yank Coble, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. Coble was president-elect last year and indicated his priorities will include continuing outgoing president Dr. Richard Corlin's fight against skyrocketing medical malpractice premiums.
Earlier in the day, the AMA decided it would not pull the plug yet on its pioneering doctors union.
In April, the AMA board of trustees rejected a badly needed loan for the union. But delegates asked the board to consider a request from the union for enough money to conclude pending cases before the National Labor Relations Board.
Union president Dr. Mark Fox called the delegates' decision "very encouraging."
The AMA formed the union, Physicians for Responsible Negotiation, in 1999 to help give doctors more leverage against managed care.
Recently, the AMA rejected a $1.6 million loan request, saying it believed the union would not be able to repay the money. That put the union's existence in jeopardy, since it is funded solely by the AMA.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
