To prevent violence in the barroom, the potential causes of violence need to be controlled. The easiest way to prevent bar violence is to control how much alcohol a consumer drinks, and to limit violent interactions through the physical design of the establishment.
Controlling Intoxication
Promotions/Management
- Promotions such as happy hours and discounts on alcohol lead to greater intoxication.
- By changing the promotions at the bar, alcohol consumption can be reduced.
- Try to avoid incentives for intoxication, perhaps by offering specials on low alcohol drinks and good food.
- It can be difficult to keep track of the amount of drinks served to one individual because there are often numerous bars and bartenders in one business.
Staff Interaction
- Since intoxication can lead to increased violence, bar staff should be trained to control the situation.
- Refusing a patron service due to intoxication or being underage can lead to a violent reaction.
- Staff members need to be trained in how to recognize intoxicated patrons and how to refuse service without causing problems.
- Responsible beverage service training programs teach staff how to recognize and deal with intoxicated customers and prevent violent incidents.
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Physical Layout
- The amount of patron contact is influenced by the floor layout. The more places where people are likely to run into each other the greater the chance of violent incidents.
- Overcrowding of the bar creates greater opportunity for conflict and violence.
- When a bar is crowded, low-level incidents of aggression are more likely to escalate into violence.
- The location of the service bars, entrance, restrooms, and tables can affect traffic flow and crowding.
- The bar can be designed to have a small amount of cross flow, and therefore less opportunity for interactions.
The images below show possible layouts for a barroom. Click on the following images to see what it is about the design that can either cause or prevent crowding.
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