Now Will We Pay Attention?

The current sexual harassment and assault claims show that predators can be found in all walks of life and of all political persuasions. We’ve all seen people we respected taken down by their behavior. Will the victims finally get the attention and support they need after their ordeals?

Will we pay attention and stop blaming victims? Consider the women of the US Gymnastics team. It took years to get justice against the team doctor who’d molested so many of them.

Will we pay attention to women at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale, who are most prone to sexual harassment? Here’s a link to a recent article from the Yakima Herald. Women who work in agriculture, food processing, housekeeping, and restaurants are harassed at a higher rate than women in professional or managerial roles. In addition, they’re forced into silence lest they lose their jobs.

Will we pay attention to other issues of harassment? These may be hostile work environments (e.g., “tech bros”) or acts of disrespect that border on assault. One of the regular swimmers at my pool was grabbed by the ankles and pulled backwards by a man who thought she shouldn’t swim ahead of him in the fast lane. She’s one of the fastest swimmers in the early morning session, male or female, and never got pushback for her lane choice until this man showed up. At first the Parks and Recreation management was skeptical, but the episode was corroborated by the lifeguard on duty.

Will we pay attention and realize that these incidents are rarely isolated? There were a few teaching assistants during my undergraduate days who were known serial harassers. One was still on campus ten years after my encounter with him, despite his reputation. He just bounced between departments. Clergy who move (or are moved) from one congregation to another when abuse claims arise are the most egregious examples of this point.

Will we pay attention and advocate for public settlements of harassment claims rather than hush money, non-disclosure agreements, and mandatory arbitration? These strategies have enabled far too many abusers to continue their behavior.

To use a line from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman in a different context: “Attention must be paid.” It’s long overdue.