The prevalence of sexual violence (SV) is still unacceptably high in the United States and alcohol-serving venues (e.g., bars, nightclubs) are the most common public setting where SV occurs. Extensive research confirms that the venue environment, coupled with alcohol consumption, is associated with increased rates of SV. Trainings for venue staff, which combine bystander intervention skill-building with discussion of organization-level changes to policies, norms, and environmental characteristics, are a promising approach to prevent SV because they address both individual and community (i.e., venue)-level risk and protective factors. To date, these trainings have not been rigorously evaluated in terms of SV outcomes. There is a critical need to test the effectiveness of prevention approaches that change both individual behavior in venues and characteristics of venue settings to reduce SV among staff and patrons.
The proposed study will assess the effectiveness of Safe Bars active bystander training, which involves training and support for alcohol-serving venues, for primary prevention of SV. Safe Bars, Inc. has implemented trainings for venue staff since 2013, with 135 venues in 15 states trained either directly by Safe Bars, Inc. or by one of their trained chapter organizations since 2022. Grounded in established theories of behavior change, Safe Bars promotes anti-violence norms and creates safer environments by increasing bystander intervention among venue staff and generating venue-level solutions to preventing SV (such as improving policies or increasing anti-violence messaging in the venue).
In a prior study, the research team established the feasibility of evaluating venue-based SV prevention by conducting an evaluability assessment, including formative research and pilot testing of procedures. Informed by the results, the proposed evaluation uses a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation design to assess the impact of Safe Bars training on SV among venue staff and patrons (Aim 1); examine venue environment characteristics, staff and patron psychosocial factors, and staff bystander intervention behaviors as mediators of Safe Bars training effects on SV outcomes (Aim 2); and examine potential moderating characteristics necessary for effective Safe Bars implementation and improved staff and patron outcomes (Aim 3). The study will use repeated surveys of patrons and staff at 15 intervention and 15 waitlist control venues, semi-structured interviews with managers and staff, training observations, venue observations, and Safe Bars implementation records to evaluate effectiveness and implementation and measure costs.
Safe Bars training is manualized for dissemination and has shown strong community acceptability. The outcomes of this study are expected to have an important positive impact by expanding the evidence base for community-level SV prevention and informing future implementation of venue-focused interventions.
