All too prevalent: Spate of accusations should make would-be harassers think twice

There is a fine line.

It is almost a tightrope walk.

It is best to avoid all possible conflicts or even the perception of conflict by never being alone in a room with one other person, and certainly never with the door closed.

These are the types of cautionary phrases one hears in management seminars.

And they aren't necessarily bad advice. But if someone wants to make an accusation against another person of any kind of wrongdoing there really isn't anything the other person can do to stop them. Proving such an allegation on the other hand is another matter.

That is why it is refreshing to see, although disturbing to think about how prevalent it seems to be, that in recent months claims of sexual misconduct, abuse and harassment are being taken seriously.

And sure, one must admit there is the possibility that some of the accusations might be false or exaggerated, that does happen too. But the sheer number of accusations, the stations of those being accused, and the stories of shame, fear and trepidation being shared now by those who were unwilling to come forward before for fear of not being believed are all too sobering.

Faces we know, people we have invited into our homes through television and movies -- some of them off screen of course as writers, producers or the executives behind the programs and films -- are now being associated with unspeakable behavior.

And it crosses all borders of the social spectrum. Black, white, male, female, gay, straight, adult, and most sadly, children -- none is immune. Anyone can be the victim or the aggressor and what might seem or even start out as innocent or unintentional can quickly escalate to inappropriate or, in some cases, criminal behavior.

It is scary to think about the possibility of one day being falsely accused of such a thing. It is scarier still to find oneself the victim of it. But how scary a time must this be for those living with the secret knowledge of their own misdeeds.

Any day now the hammer could drop. And perhaps there is some small amount of justice in that alone.

These topics are difficult to discuss and should only be talked about in the most serious of tones, to be sure.

But at least we are talking about them. And for as many who are outed as abusers, countless more will go unnamed and some will go on abusing. Yet as the discussions grow and take place more frequently, we hope some of them -- those who would be brazen and emboldened enough in secret -- think twice before injuring someone with their unwanted advances, spoken or otherwise.

Published in Editorials on November 11, 2017 10:18 PM