ABSTRACT

It is safe to suggest that most patients are aware of the main maxim of the Hippocratic Oath, “First do no harm.” Thus, headlines and exposés that draw attention to physicians who have abused their patients often result in shock and outrage. To shed additional light on an understudied phenomenon, this chapter focuses on two forms of physical violence doctors may commit against their patients: sexual abuse and unnecessary surgeries. We argue that unnecessary surgeries/procedures can be considered as a form of violence against patients as these “treatments” are invasive and can result in short- and long-term physical injury. Other scholars have offered a similar argument (see Friedrichs, 2010; Jesilow, Pontell, & Geis, 1985). Recent high-profile cases have called attention to physicians who were clearly taking advantage of their patients and violating the trust we as a society often place in them as health care providers. Notably, the Larry Nassar case has demonstrated to the nation, and the world, that sexual victimization can occur at the hands of trusted medical professionals.