By Rush L. Russell; The Times
Regarding continuing stories about Harvey Weinstein and victims of sexual abuse:
It’s inspiring to see the many courageous stories from women disclosing incidents of sexual abuse by men in power positions in Hollywood, in sports and in politics. We hope leaders and the media will devote increasing attention to what it will take to stop this from happening.
Youth-serving organizations, including sports organizations and schools, can adopt codes of conduct to prohibit “boundary-violating” behaviors that offenders use to groom potential victims. Co-workers can be educated to watch for and report inappropriate behavior. Schools should be prohibited from signing “nondisclosure” agreements when terminating an employee for sexual misconduct. Parents and co-workers can be educated about sexual-abuse prevention and take simple steps to be more vigilant.
We need to shift the conversations from past crimes to smarter policies and solutions. Everyone can play a role.