[user104658]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Yeah. Inappropriate touching repeatedly apparently. Which I would class as assault.

Inappropriate touching generally means things like a hand on a leg or, I believe, in this case a lower back was mentioned. It's not OK and it should be stamped out, especially where a power discrepancy exists... but it's not sexual assault... it's inappropriate touching. I have no problem with people who have - for example - had an arm put around them or a hand put on their lower back saying not to do it, that they don't like it, that it isn't OK. Respect of personal space is important. But I do have a really major problem with people who have had things like this happen, saying that they were "sexually assaulted", because it lessens the crime and makes it much harder for people who have actually been sexually assaulted - i.e. have been groped, pinned, or worse - to be taken seriously. When someone comes forward and says "I was sexually assaulted" it should be clear that a serious sexual crime has been committed. If you have to ask the question "Well, did he jam his hand down your pants, or did he put his hand on your lower back" then the waters become seriously muddied.

Again that's not to say that people shouldn't speak up and complain about being made to feel uncomfortable, because if anything, all of this MUST have made a huge difference for future generations in places like Hollywood. This behaviour basically hinges on people essentially believing that they "have unquestionable influence" and are "untouchable". I can't imagine that anyone in Hollywood feels untouchable any more, or ever will again... behaving inappropriately in any way has become "a major risk"... as it should be.

But still. Things have to be kept realistic. There has to be a difference between "I felt very uncomfortable" and "I was murdered in my soul and will be traumatised forever!!"

Encouraging people to be as dramatic as possible seems to be the trend these days and I have no idea why. It doesn't help anyone. Not the victim themselves, not other victims, and not future potential victims.