Witnessing a co-worker commit theft and not reporting it could lead to which charge?

Choosing "aiding and abetting" reflects an understanding of how the legal system views complicity in criminal acts. When someone witnesses a crime, such as theft, and chooses not to report it, they may be seen as providing support to the criminal since their inaction can be viewed as enabling the illegal behavior.

Aiding and abetting involves assisting or encouraging someone to commit a crime or failing to take action to stop the crime from occurring. In this context, a bystander who sees theft and remains silent may not physically participate in the act of theft but could be perceived as indirectly supporting it, leading to potential legal consequences.

The other options do not accurately reflect the implications of failing to report a crime. Defamation involves damaging someone's reputation through false statements, which is unrelated to the act of witnessing theft. Negligence refers to a failure to exercise reasonable care that results in harm, which is not the appropriate legal term here. Theft is directly related to the act of stealing but does not encompass the failure to report the crime. Hence, "aiding and abetting" is the most applicable legal charge in this scenario.