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
