After reading all of the stories in the news lately about sexual harassment, I am both horrified at the behavior of those accused, and at the same time relieved that this issue is getting some exposure. It is not acceptable and I can’t help but wonder how the design and construction industry can help deter bad behavior like this. Specifically, how can good design reduce the “opportunity” for bad behavior to occur in the first place, and also better support victims of sexual harassment or other forms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Good design can reduce traffic accidents, inspire us to pray, nudge us to eat less, encourage us to take more steps, and facilitate collaboration between colleagues. Why can’t we treat this issue like any other design problem?
When you think about it, emotional safety is more of an issue for workers today than physical safety. There are many physically unsafe jobs out there – firefighters, police, people in the military – but most of us are much more likely to encounter traumas that are much more likely to occur. To put things in perspective, the chances of being in an active shooter incident at work in the U.S. are over a million to one. By comparison, one in four women are impacted by sexual harassment at work. Actually, no one knows for sure because 75 percent of sexual assault victims never bother to report workplace sexual harassment out of fear of retaliation or not being believed. So, by putting some design focus on this issue, we could really make a difference.