If they go forward in their present plans, they will be doing two noteworthy things. The first is that they are innovating in some respects. The second is that they are determined to create an integrated dispute-resolution system rather than just one prevention program or grievance channel. In fact, harassment training is to be integrated into many other training programs-basic training, training for new commanding officers and the like. A person who is told by a complainant or a third party that she or he is harassing is urged to take responsibility for behaving thereafter in a completely professional manner, whatever that person's belief with respect to the appropriateness of the complaint.
Bystanders are to take responsibility for interrupting and preventing harassment.
And supervisors may not ignore any harassment which they see or which is reported to them, but must act, appropriately and fairly. The Navy is structuring a system with many informal and formal options for complainants. It is writing a skills booklet with sections addressed simultaneously to complainants, to people who are told they are harassing, to by-standers and to everyone in the chain of command, so that each person involved in a complaint will know the advice that is being given to others. Like many other employers, the Navy is integrating its approach to include all forms of harassment, with explicit re-commitment to leadership with respect to race. Decent people think it has to work.