The national news of late has been filled with reports of celebrities and politicians falling from grace through allegations of sexual harassment or assault.
On Wednesday, it was television star Matt Lauer and famed writer and radio host Garrison Keillor. Newsman Charlie Rose, journalist Glenn Thrush, movie producer Harvey Weinstein — the list goes on and on. Does that mean sexual harassment or assault is on the rise, or is it that society isn’t tolerating this behavior?
“I think the curtain is being pulled back,” said Dr. Rebecca McHugh, assistant professor of developmental psychology at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. “Sexual assault and harassment have always been present, but the societal stigma historically cast upon victims who speak out has made it a dirty little secret.”
Heather Schultz-Piché, program director for the YWCA Bradford, said abuse thrives on secrecy.
“As long as it’s a secret, no one will know and there will be no accountability,” she said. “That time is coming to an end — it is coming to light.”
The list of famous women coming forward to confess victimization, and the support they are publicly showing each other, may help encourage other women to come forward. And, McHugh said, so will the fact that victims are seeing results.
“Right now we’re seeing actual consequences,” she said. Lauer and Keillor were fired on Wednesday. “That’s incredibly encouraging to people who have experienced this.”
The solidarity being shown by victims has been encouraging, McHugh added.
“Stigma only exists if we let it,” she said. “If we don’t talk about it, address it, stigma continues and builds and grows. The more people come forward, the more they can destroy the stereotype of victim blaming.”
Schultz-Piché said sexual violence victim advocates have been working for decades to change the reaction to victims coming forward, to put an end to the stigma of a victim “bringing it on herself” by something she did, or how she dressed.
“Clearly, we are making a difference. Even in McKean County, events such as the YWCA Victims’ Resource Center’s annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event has, over the past four years, opened the conversation about sexual violence with such topics of holding perpetrators accountable, believing victims and ways to support survivors, and the importance of community and prevention education programs,” she said. “I think we are making strides here, even in our own small community, that contribute to victims seeking services from our program.”
Again, members of the general public seemed shocked that sexual violence in all forms, including harassment, is so pervasive. Yet officials at the YWCA weren’t surprised, and neither was McHugh.
“It is a normalized phenomenon, but the more victims willing to come forward, the more likely we are to begin changing that narrative,” said Schultz-Piché, “and more importantly, changing the expectation and raising the bar for what is permissible action. There should never be an attitude of entitlement towards another’s body.”
She mentioned labels like “monster” and “predator” detract society from that fact that perpetrators “often present with labels such as teacher, pastor, supervisor, mentor or friend.
“And the betrayal of trust is the foundation for the crime,” Schultz-Piché said.
The general public may find it hard to believe harassment allegations, simply because they would rather not see or acknowledge the negative aspects of life.
“I think we don’t like to see the dark side of what happens in our society,” McHugh said. “This is shining a light on what we don’t want to look at.”
Both women cautioned that men can be victims as well, and are unlikely to report the allegations.
“The majority of men and women are perfectly good people,” McHugh said. “Some men assault. Some women assault. The vast majority of people aren’t going to.”
There are some easy rules of thumb for people to follow to be sure they aren’t crossing the line. Don’t say something in the workplace that you wouldn’t be comfortable saying in front of one’s own mother. Don’t say something that you wouldn’t talk about around the table at a holiday, McHugh said.
“If it has to do with your genitals, it’s probably off limits,” she said.
This isn’t a witch hunt, she said. It’s about men and women deserving to feel comfortable and safe in the workplace.
Harassment isn’t about sex, McHugh said.
“The one cohesive pattern is power and domination. It’s not about a misunderstanding. It’s about wanting to control somebody else.”
