New anti-bullying and anti-harassment guidelines introduced for the entertainment industry

 

February 17^th, 2018: on the wake of the allegations of sexual assault and harassment in the film and sport industries, and following the coming together of the #metoo movement, new guidelines have been proposed for the film industry in the UK.

These new guidelines have been developed by the British Film Institute, BAFTA, BECTU, Equity, Pact, The Production Guild, Women in Film & TV, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, the U.K. Screen Alliance and U.K. Interactive Entertainment. The goal is to provide guidelines of behavior for both employee and employer, to provide support for victims, and to help build an inclusive environment. Among the initiatives is a 24 hours helpline that will be introduced in April.

“These principles are important because up until recently there were no guidelines, there was no protocol for someone that had been sexually harassed in the entertainment industry and I know this to be a fact because I’ve asked for principles, I’ve asked to see guidelines and no one could give them to me,” said actress Emma Watson. The guidelines initiative is supported by others in addition to Emma Watson, including Jodie Whittaker, Gemma Arterton, Gemma Chan and producer Barbara Broccoli all of which have been consulted throughout the development of this plan.

Watch Emma Watson interview here.

Producer Barbara Broccoli said “Our industry is full of hugely talent individuals and teams producing fantastic work, but it has become clear there is a dangerous and negative culture and behavior that has been tolerated for far too long which must be eradicated. This work is an important step in creating an industry in which we can be proud, is accessible to all and everyone working in it can feel safe.”

Specific guidelines and regulations on behavior, especially concerning work relationships that have an imbalance of power, have been present in other working environments for some time now. Hopefully, this initiative of the UK film industry will be followed by other industries where harassment and bullying are still rampant and where people’s careers and lives are still hostages of few individuals who misuse their power.