Bar victimization of women

Little is known about the types and specific circumstances that surround the victimization of women who drink in the public context of bars. This study provides a preliminary description of the types of violence experienced by women bar drinkers and the roles of exposure and impairment as risk factors for encountering bar-related aggression. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 52 women bar drinkers through self-administered questionnaires and focus-group discussions about their lifestyles, alcohol and drug use, and patterns of bar drinking. Nearly half of the women (48.1%) had experienced physical violence (e.g., assault) and one third (32.6%) had experienced either attempted or completed rape associated with drinking in a bar. Our findings indicate that women who regularly drink in bars experience a substantial amount of physical and sexual aggression associated with these settings.