I just finished binging the second
season of “13 Reasons Why” last night. I believe season one was the most talked
about show of 2017. It follows the bullying and harassment that lead to the
suicide of Hannah Baker. The second season picks up in the aftermath of
Hannah's death. Because the show touches on difficult and complex topics such
as teenage substance abuse, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, rape, and
suicide, it was almost too much to bear. Tragic. Upsetting. Heartbreaking.
Although the story takes place in the fictional town of Crestmont, living in
the Bay Area, it was easy to recognize many of the locations, so it felt almost
too close to home. I became completely engrossed in the complicated and
emotional storyline. And as a parent, I am so grateful my children have
survived middle school and high school.
The show, and particularly the second
season, has been criticized for its graphic depiction of violence and suicide.
As hard as it was to watch, I commend the show for daring to shine a light in
very dark places to confront us with the hard truth about American culture. As
responsible adults we have to pay better attention and be prepared to address
these very relevant social issues. Because you cannot watch the show without being
left wondering about how prevalent are bullying and sexual harassment in our
schools, in our workplaces, and in our culture? And if you follow the news, and
the #MeToo social media campaign, then it seems all too clear that sexual
harassment and assault are pervasive across all realms of life – in our
schools, in the workplace, and in our communities. For generations, children have
experienced bullying, abuse, and physical and sexual assault at school to
become the adults still living these experiences when joining the workforce.
Federal law forbids sexual harassment
and provides protection for employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964. And many states have adopted laws and regulations which expressly
prohibits sexual harassment. In 2004, California passed AB 1825 requiring
employers with 50 or more employees to provide training on preventing and
eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers have a legal
responsibility to maintain a workplace that is free of bullying and sexual
harassment. And yet, sexual harassment remains widespread across all industries
and professions. It seems Harvey Weinstein’s downfall has opened the floodgates
with many new stories coming to light on a daily basis. Sometimes a culture of
harassment can persist for a quarter of a century as in the case of Ford’s
Chicago Plants ‘The
Daily’: Sexual Harassment at Ford. And let
us not forget Susan Fowler whose Uber experience was a reminder that
discrimination, bullying, and sexual harassment all also happen in Silicon
Valley, the forefront of technology and innovation. Sexual misconduct is
everywhere. One-fifth of American adults have experienced sexual harassment at
work according to a CNBC
Report.
A culture of pervasive harassment is a
culture of enablers, a culture of silence. Offenders get away with improper behaviors
when they are protected by the silence of those around them. Bystanders play a
crucial role in acts of aggression allowing them to happen and become
progressively worse when they say and do nothing. How do we win the war on
bullying and sexual harassment? By not looking the other way, by breaking the
code of silence. When we witness any inappropriate behaviors, we have a duty to
call it out. Not taking a stand against bullying and harassment, choosing the
safety of inaction, is like feeding the lion hoping it will eat you last. To
make our workplaces safe for everyone we need to break the networks of silence
and build communities of empowerment.
“The world will not be destroyed by
those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” ~Albert
Einstein
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