Report on Bystander Intervention in Workplace Harassment and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides critical insights into bystander responses to workplace sexual harassment, highlighting significant gender-based differences in empathy and intervention. These findings have profound implications for achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). The research underscores that organizational culture is a key determinant in fostering equitable and safe work environments, thereby closing the gender gap in bystander response.

Key Research Findings

The multi-method study identified several core patterns in how observers react to workplace sexual harassment:

• Gender Disparity in Empathy: Women consistently demonstrated higher levels of empathy towards targets of sexual harassment compared to men.
• Empathy as a Driver for Action: This heightened empathy in women led to more frequent intervention behaviors and a reduced tendency to ignore or silence victims.
• Impact of Organizational Culture: The observed gender gap in bystander response was eliminated in organizations perceived as having a strong, intolerant stance against sexual harassment.
• Universal Improvement in Intolerant Environments: In organizations with robust anti-harassment policies, both men and women reported higher empathy, increased intervention, and less silencing behavior.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality

The study’s conclusions are central to the mission of SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Addressing workplace harassment is a direct mechanism for progress.

1. Eliminating Discrimination: By identifying the mechanisms that encourage intervention, the research provides a framework for eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women in the workplace (Target 5.1 and 5.2).
2. Fostering Equal Participation: A workplace free from harassment is a prerequisite for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making (Target 5.5).
3. Strengthening Policies: The finding that strong organizational intolerance closes the gender gap in bystander response supports the adoption and strengthening of sound policies for the promotion of gender equality (Target 5.c).

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The research directly informs the objectives of SDG 8, which promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

1. Protecting Labor Rights: Creating a workplace culture intolerant of harassment is fundamental to protecting labor rights and promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers (Target 8.8).
2. Ensuring Productive Employment: A safe work environment, where all employees feel supported, contributes to higher productivity and sustained economic growth by reducing turnover and absenteeism associated with hostile work conditions.
3. Promoting Inclusive Environments: The study highlights how organizational action can create inclusive workplaces that value the well-being of every employee, a cornerstone of the decent work agenda.

Supporting Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The role of organizational policy in shaping behavior aligns with SDG 16, which seeks to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

1. Building Accountable Institutions: The study demonstrates that organizations, as institutions, can foster justice and accountability by implementing and enforcing clear, zero-tolerance policies on harassment.
2. Reducing Violence: An intolerant organizational culture significantly reduces harmful behaviors like harassment, contributing to the broader goal of reducing all forms of violence in society (Target 16.1).
3. Ensuring Responsive and Inclusive Practices: When organizations actively create an intolerant culture, they become more responsive, inclusive, and representative, ensuring that the concerns of all employees, particularly victims of harassment, are addressed effectively.

Recommendations and Implications for Policy

The research provides actionable recommendations for organizations committed to aligning their practices with the SDGs:

• Enhance Training Programs: Move beyond mere legal compliance to develop training that actively builds empathy and bystander intervention skills across the entire workforce.
• Strengthen and Communicate Policies: Establish and vigorously communicate a culture of organizational intolerance for sexual harassment, ensuring policies are enforced through thorough investigations and penalties.
• Promote a Culture of Safety: Foster an environment where all employees, regardless of gender, feel empowered and expected to intervene, thereby creating a safer and more equitable workplace for everyone.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on workplace sexual harassment directly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that focus on equality, safe work environments, and institutional justice. The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The research focuses on the gendered nature of workplace sexual harassment, noting that “women are more frequently the targets.” It also analyzes the different responses of men and women as bystanders, highlighting how gender dynamics influence workplace safety and equality. The goal of creating an environment where harassment is not tolerated directly supports the aim of achieving gender equality and empowering all women.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article’s context is entirely within the workplace. Sexual harassment creates a hostile, unsafe, and non-inclusive work environment, which is the antithesis of “decent work.” The study’s conclusion that strong organizational policies can “create a safer environment for all employees” directly aligns with the objective of promoting safe and secure working conditions for all workers.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is relevant because the article emphasizes the critical role of organizational structures and policies in addressing harassment. The finding that the gender gap in bystander response was “not observed in organizations with strong intolerance of sexual harassment” points to the importance of strong, just, and accountable institutions (in this case, companies). The call for organizations to “conduct a thorough investigation and penalize the harassers” is a direct appeal for justice and accountability within these institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Targets under SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

   • Target 5.1: “End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.” Workplace sexual harassment is a clear form of gender-based discrimination that the article seeks to address through improved organizational responses.
   • Target 5.2: “Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres…” The workplace is a key part of the public sphere, and sexual harassment is a form of psychological and sometimes physical violence that this target aims to eliminate.

2. Targets under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

   • Target 8.8: “Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers…” The article’s central recommendation is for organizations to implement policies that “create a safer environment for all employees,” which directly supports this target.

3. Targets under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

   • Target 16.B: “Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.” The article’s call to “strengthen organizational intolerance policies” is a direct reflection of this target at the institutional level, advocating for the enforcement of non-discriminatory rules within the workplace.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators, but it implies several measurable factors that can serve as indicators of progress:

• Perception of Organizational Intolerance: The study explicitly measures whether organizations were “perceived as highly intolerant of sexual harassment.” This perception can be tracked over time through employee surveys to measure the effectiveness of institutional policies (relevant to SDG 16).
• Rate of Bystander Intervention: The research measures “intervention behaviors” among observers of harassment. An increase in the frequency of bystander intervention, especially among men, would be a key indicator of a cultural shift towards a safer workplace (relevant to SDG 5 and SDG 8).
• Levels of Empathy: The study identifies empathy as a “key driver of intervention behaviors.” The article suggests training programs should focus on “building empathy.” Therefore, measuring empathy levels among employees regarding harassment victims can serve as a leading indicator of behavioral change (relevant to SDG 5).
• Frequency of Silencing and “Not Hearing” Behaviors: The article identifies negative behaviors such as “invalidating or ignoring complaints” and “discouraging others from speaking up.” A reduction in the reported frequency of these silencing behaviors would be a direct measure of a more supportive and just workplace environment (relevant to SDG 8 and SDG 16).

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: news.illinois.edu