By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Everyone wants to have fun when they're out at the bar for drinks, but sometimes the fun and flirtation goes too far.
Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services staff completed a three-day training with the national Safe Bars Alliance Association in November.
Options' goal is to recruit businesses in the hospitality industry to take the Safe Bars course to help make their staff and patrons safer from sexual predators.
At least 50 percent of sexual assaults are associated with alcohol use, according to several published research studies.
Alcohol has especially been shown as a factor in sexual assaults among college students.
Those survey reported that 74 percent of the perpetrators and 55 percent of the victims of rape in a nationally representative sample of college students had been drinking alcohol.
The Safe Bars training helps bar staff to recognize signs of sexual harassment or predatory behavior, said Jennifer Hecker, Options executive director.
Some of those behaviors bar owners or staff might notice could be unwanted advances, someone who did not come with a person following him or her outside of the restaurant or bar, and persistence after someone says "no," or "no thank you" to advances.
Some predators will continue to buy a subject drinks as an attempt to use the target's intoxication as a weapon against him or her, Hecker said.
"Many bar staff experience sexual harassment even at the hands of patrons," Hecker said.
They will say, "I'll give you this tip, if you give me your phone number," Hecker said.
A bartender might be grabbed or slapped on the rear end or be the subject of other sexual advances, Hecker said, and the staff member may feel as if he or she can't say no.
Safe Bars helps identify the behaviors and how to intervene safely without putting the person intervening at risk.
"Alcohol does not cause sexual assault, but it is used as a weapon and to camouflage [the perpetrator's] own actions by using that defense that 'I was drunk. I didn't know any better,' " Hecker said. ...
"Not everyone who drinks sexually assaults someone."
Safe Bar training attempts to minimize the behavior and hold perpetrators accountable.
"This helps bar owners, restaurant owners keep their own staff safe, as well as intervene and look for and stop that predatory behavior with customers as well," she said.
Several establishments in Hays have expressed interest in the training, and Options will be reaching out to those bars to scheduled training with their staffs.
The free training is 2 1/2 hours. The participants receive materials as well as a sign for their establishment indicating they are a member of the Safe Bars Alliance.
"It lets them know that the bartender is their friend and there is someone in the bar who can help them," Hecker said.
Hecker said she believes bar owners want to keep everyone safe.
"Drinking is a part of our culture," she said. "There is nothing wrong with drinking in and of itself. It is not what causes it. I think people are often afraid to talk about that. If we don't talk about it, we can't do anything to fix it."
The training offered through Options is being piloted in Hays, but Hecker said she would like to expand the program throughout Options' service area if the pilot goes well.
Bar or restaurant owners or managers who would like to participate in the program can call Options at 785-625-4202 to sign up for the training. Hecker said Options can be flexible in setting a time and date for the training.
"The bar owners want their establishments to be fun and safe places for people to celebrate," Hecker said. ... "We want to celebrate and be with one another. We want to do that in a place where we will feel safe."