RCC’s Safer Bar is a de-escalation and bystander intervention program designed for owners, managers, and all staff at alcohol-serving establishments.
If you are interested in this training, complete the form below:
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Safer Bar is rooted in violence-prevention education and trauma-informed practices with an intersectional lens to address and intervene in harmful or predatory behavior in the safest way possible. It is survivor-centered, evidence-based, and participatory. Additionally, our program emphasizes the strengthening of community and neighborhood connections as a key strategy to keeping each other safe. We tailor our programming to fit staff needs and the individual identity and culture of your establishment.
We won’t tell you what to do or how to run your bar – you are the experts on that!
Our mission is to build on the unique skill set and experience of your staff and to provide the tools and language for them to feel confident and comfortable in addressing harm and creating a safer and more welcoming environment for all.
Participants will learn how to help facilitate a culture in your establishment that does not tolerate sexual violence, harmful or predatory behavior of any kind.
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• Promotion & Positive Exposure: Safer Bar will promote your establishment, logo and social media channel(s) on our website, newsletters, events and our own social media, exposing your establishment to an expanded customer base. We also provide posters and window decals for your bar, which communicates competence, collaboration and trust to your patrons.
• Staff & Patron Trust & Satisfaction: By becoming Safer Bar Certified, you are demonstrating to your staff and customers your commitment to providing a safe and fun environment for everyone. When you prioritize safety and respect at your establishment, customers are more likely to return and tell their friends and you are more likely to attract and retain talented and loyal staff.
• Preparedness: With Safer Bar training, you and your staff will be equipped with a wider range of strategies to use when addressing harm, violence, or predatory behavior, whether it’s directed at you, your staff or your customers. Trainees will gain skills in noticing and discerning early signs of problematic or threatening behavior, reducing the likelihood of escalation or filing an incident report.
• Being a Leader: Becoming Safer Bar certified offers establishments the opportunity to be a leader in their community and set the standard for hospitality and care in our city.
• Increased Profits: We all know how devastating bad PR can be (and how hard the service industry has been hit financially since the pandemic). We also know that customers who have positive experiences are more likely to return and spread the word about your awesome establishment. Losing even a few customers and the resulting word of mouth can add up to thousands in lost bar tabs. Safer Bar training can help you avoid an incident and the bad PR that comes with it.
• It’s the right thing to do! Nightlife and bar culture is a huge part of the lifeblood of our communities, especially in Wisconsin! We want to uplift and celebrate the vibrancy of the people and the places that offer us connection, joy, and a space to commune and de-stress. We love nightlife and we want everyone to have a safer bar experience! -
Bar & restaurants are beloved public institutions and fulfill many different roles in a community. As such, they are in a unique position to help foster a safe, respectful and protective environment for all who frequent them!
We know that in Madison, 1 out of 10 sexual assaults happen at a bar or restaurant. We also know that at least half of people who commit sexual violence are under the influence of alcohol at the time. Unwanted sexual attention, such as verbal harassment and groping, is commonplace in bars and clubs. Sexual aggressors may also take advantage of the bar space to select, isolate and/or intoxicate their targets, making bars a unique and crucial place to address sexual violence. -
• Recognizing and identifying predatory behavior and sexual aggression
• Assertive communication skills
• Early interventions, negotiations and/or mitigations in addressing potentially threatening behavior
• Assertive boundary-making and language tools to reduce probability of conflict and harm
• Recognizing our own triggers and styles of confrontation
• Safety planning to keep each other safe: Creating a safety plan for your business/staff
• Targeting strategies to intervene in the workplace and the opportunity for live practice with trained Safer Bar facilitators
Membership Details.
For details on membership, please email saferbar@thercc.org.
DISCLAIMER:
This 90 minute training is intended to provide staff with tools to attempt to reduce the probability of conflict, de-escalate when conflict occurs, and intervene to stop harm and maintain the safety of all present. It is not guaranteed to reduce or cease incidents of violent or harmful behavior, including sexual assault, in your establishment. The implication that it does should be avoided at all costs.
SAFER BAR CERTIFIED.
