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I’ve worked in the field of sexual violence prevention for almost eight years. In that time I’ve had the opportunity to learn about preventing sexual violence from different perspectives, by applying different theories, and by exploring countless curriculums.
I believe in the SAFE Bar Training because it is simple, manageable, and most importantly effective in creating a culture where entertainment industry employees notice concerning behavior, interrupt effectively and provide support.
You don’t have to take my word for it though. Over the past three years, we’ve heard from bar owners and hundreds of participants the value of SAFE Bar Training. Here’s what bar owner and SAFE Bar Network board member, Kevin Duffy, has to say about training.
“When we conducted our first training it was sobering for me to hear from some of our employees that they had witnessed guys coming on to women in an unwanted fashion. However, it was also heartening to hear that they identified that behavior, and they actively did something about it. So, the good news is that they saw it and some of them were doing something about it.
Now we’re seeing, in our last set of training, it is more uniform. I think all the employees are talking about seeing something and how to react to it. The change we are seeing is that it is very well known to all our employees; bartenders, security, barbacks, front of the house, back of the house, that it is okay to lean on your peers and colleagues to do something about it and management and ownership supports them 100%. I think everyone in the organization recognizes that this is an issue and now they know what to do about it.”
The entertainment industry is built on creating a fun, comfortable atmosphere where people come together to relax, let loose and celebrate. The reality is that on any given night employees see customers who are uncomfortable and unsafe and they don’t know how to help. You can proactively create a culture where employees notice concerning behavior, interrupt effectively and provide support. Join the network working to create a safe night out for everyone today.
To learn more about joining the SAFE Bar Network contact us at safebarnetwork@gmail.com
If you have a favorite bar, restaurant, or night club encourage them to join the SAFE Bar Network. They can learn more at www.safebarnetwork.org
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault our partners can help. Visit www.mocsa.org and www.rainn.org
To learn more about the field of sexual violence response and prevention visit www.preventconnect.org and www.nsvrc.org
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