When at a place of work, it’s easy to assume that everyone is conducting themselves in a civil, courteous, and morally correct way. Unfortunately, work environments are not always the respectful safe havens they should be. Especially when working with vulnerable groups such as children or individuals with mental or physical disabilities, there is an increased likelihood of manipulation or abuse. In these circumstances, sexual abuse is experienced with higher frequency and is not always obvious to coworkers or management. For victims, it can be difficult or downright dangerous to come forward, and many victims of abuse may not fully understand or comprehend the nature of their situation. If you suspect that there is sexual abuse going on in your workplace, it’s of the utmost importance that you take action. Here are 4 steps you should be taking if you believe that a person or multiple people are being abused at work.

Inform Yourself

If you are unsure of whether or not certain signs you are seeing in your coworker or other individuals at your workplace might be indicative of abuse, it’s important to do your research. When children are being sexually abused, certain telltale behavioral, physical, and verbal signs might help notify others. If you witness other forms of harassment being carried out more blatantly, this might also be a red flag of a potential abuser. Oftentimes, the more egregious actions are carried out in secret. However, abusers will often push the boundaries of what they can say and do in public, usually to assert power and intimidate the victim. Signs of this can be inappropriate comments or touching, sexual jokes, ridicule of gender identity, or perhaps unwanted or lewd calls, emails, or texts. Ensuring you document all instances of suspected abuse is extremely important for identification and eventual reporting. Doing research using credible websites dealing with abuse and talking to experts in this field can be hugely helpful for familiarizing yourself with abuse and how it presents.

Reach Out

So you’ve done adequate research and consultation and believe there is sexual abuse going on in your workplace- the next step is reaching out. This can mean several things. For starters, you can begin to subtly intervene in interactions with smaller transgressions. If an inappropriate comment is made, perhaps ask the perpetrator why they commented, and explain that it was inappropriate. Confronting the abuser directly is not recommended, as this may put the bystander in danger themselves, or cause more harm to the victim. Though it is recommended that the victims of abuse make it clear that the abuser’s actions and comments are unwelcome, hurt them, or make them uncomfortable, this is not always a realistic dialogue. As a witness to abuse, you should be trained and encouraged to speak up. Approaching the victim themselves is equally important to keep them informed and ensure they do not feel isolated or afraid. It’s important you make the victim feel comfortable, listen to them, clarify the situation, and emphasize that they are not at fault or in trouble.

Be Vocal

Though reporting abuse is a necessary measure, many victims will be unable to do this themselves. As a witness or bystander, it is absolutely imperative that you get higher company powers as well as legal aid involved immediately. In many cases, such as the Devereux lawsuit, “whistle-blowers” who come forward with information and testimony can be instrumental in ensuring the success of any legal process. In the absence of physical evidence, or in addition to it, witnesses can help ensure the abusers are held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. By initiating legal action, you are addressing the magnitude of the situation while actively working to make your workplace safer and stopping further abuse.

Empower Victims

Lastly, it’s beneficial for everyone in the workplace to empower victims to stand up for themselves and report all instances of abuse. This can mean talking to your management about revising policies, creating a specialized interest group, joining a union, or even protesting should the need arise. There must be zero abuse tolerance, as smaller instances can pave the way for more serious situations. Employees and those they work with should feel completely safe and be encouraged to report grievances. Acceptance and communication should be promoted throughout the workplace, and there should be explicit pro-victim verbiage in all HR-related documentation. Stricter hiring practices are also a possibility.

Plain and simple: abuse is never okay. If you suspect that sexual abuse is going on in your work environment, you have a moral and ethical responsibility to respond quickly and correctly. This means doing research, diffusing harassment situations, making sure that the victim and suspected abuser are clear on what is and isn’t acceptable behavior in the workplace, getting company and legal powers involved, and changing any company structures that aren’t working to serve victims and bystanders of abuse. If you have found any of these tips helpful, know that abuse should never be tolerated, and getting professional legal counsel is always the best course of action when dealing with sexual abuse.