Ever witnessed harassment?

“This is the Church’s missionary path: to go to meet women and men of every race, tongue and nation with friendship and love, sharing their conditions in an evangelical spirit, to break the bread of truth and charity for them...”

— St. Pope John Paul II, World Migration Day, 1996

It’s scary, but imagine being the target of that behavior simply because of your gender, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, perhaps on the street, MUNI or BART. We can reach out and offer support, even help, and as interested and socially-responsible citizens, we are called to help when we see people in need. In particular, as Catholics, we are called on to promote the dignity of all persons, leaving no one outside our circle of compassion. Everyone — older adults, children, people with special needs, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation— has the right to be treated with dignity, compassion and humanity. 

So what should we do when we witness behavior that is intended to intimidate, harass and belittle? As Catholics and Christians, we need to support the individual being subjected to these negative behaviors; intervene when appropriate; and establish that harassment is not acceptable. Learn how to do these things effectively. Start with a few pointers, and consider getting specific training from an organization such as Right to Be. Right To Be is an educational group that provides techniques on how to create a world where everyone simply has the right to be. As part of a wider training curriculum, they offer a five-step program, called the 5Ds, that can help to diffuse just such a situation. Here is a synopsis of the 5Ds: 

• Distract - Directly engage with the individual who is being harassed, start a conversation about any unrelated topic. Ignore the harasser.

• Delegate - If you are on MUNI and a man several rows away tries to gain the attention of the woman sitting near you, you might ask the person next to you to stand up, to create a visual block between the harasser and the individual being harassed, while you check in with that individual to see if they need help, accompany them off of the bus, or just provide a buffer.

• Document - Use your phone to record or take notes about the situation. After the incident has been defused, ask the person who was harassed what they want done with the information.

• Delay - Sometimes things happen so quickly, it is over before you can offer help, but delayed help can reduce a person’s trauma. Ask if your support is needed, assure them that what they experienced was not okay.

• Direct Intervention -This is to be used cautiously and only after first assessing the situation, your safety and the safety of the person being harassed. You might be direct and succinct, saying something like, “That’s _____” (fill in the blank with racist, homophobic, inappropriate, hateful”, etc”).

Please visit RightToBe.org, to find additional information and resources, including upcoming training sessions. By taking small steps, we can actively practice our faith and help to build the world we want to live in.

Anti-Racism Committee