Written submission from Drinkaware (SPP0050)
- Are there good practice examples or innovative thinking about tackling sexual harassment in the public realm either in the UK or internationally?
Executive summary:
- Drinkaware has developed three innovative initiatives to reduce alcohol vulnerability in night time venues and to raise awareness of unwanted drunken sexual harassment and its normalisation.
- This submission outlines these programmes:
Awareness-raising campaign aimed at changing attitudes and reducing drunken sexual harassment in the night time economy;
Drinkaware Crew: trained staff in large venues aimed at keeping young people safe on a night out;
Alcohol-related vulnerability e-learning: online training to build capability and knowledge with evening and night time economy employees.
Drinkaware is an independent UK-wide, alcohol education charity aiming to help reduce alcohol harm and help people make better choices about their drinking.
We achieve this by providing impartial, evidence-based information, advice and practical resources; raising awareness of alcohol and its harms and working collaboratively with partners (including the medical community, public health, third sector organisations, local authorities, police and the drinks industry).
Drinkaware has a Memorandum of Understanding with Government that establishes Drinkaware as the primary non-governmental body for providing information to UK consumers on alcohol and its related harms. Drinkaware is funded primarily by more than 100 alcohol producers, pub chains, retailers, supermarkets, casual dining groups and sports governing bodies. We have also received funding from the Offices of Nottinghamshire PCC; South Wales PCC and Derbyshire PCC.
Drinkaware has strong brand recognition with nearly 70% of the UK population having heard of the Charity. This translates into considerable consumer reach with more than nine million people visiting the Drinkaware website each year.
Drinkaware welcomes this inquiry by the Women and Equalities Select Committee into sexual harassment of women and girls in public places.
Drinkaware aims to contribute to changing social norms around alcohol and the culture of the evening and night time economy (ENTE) across the UK through developing and evaluating innovative solutions to reduce alcohol-related harms, in particular, alcohol vulnerability. Based on extensive insight and qualitiative work with 18-29 years olds (Drunken Nights Out – Motivations, norms and rituals in the night time economy; 2014), Drinkaware has developed three innovative initiatives to reduce alcohol vulnerability in evening and night time venues. These are:
Since 2015, Drinkaware has been running a campaign to tackle drunken sexual harassment in North West England. Underpinned by extensive insight, it aims to challenge attitudes and behaviours amongst young adults and is targeted at both perpetrators, people who experience sexual harassment, and most recently bystanders.
Drinkaware’s research shows nearly two thirds (63%) of women and a quarter of men (26%) aged 18-24 who regularly drink in clubs, bars or pubs said that they had been on the receiving end of some form of sexual harassment on a night out. Evidence from police partners in a number of UK cities suggests that harassment can escalate leading to incidents involving violence; for example, young men who are rebuffed in an approach are particularly likely to attack male friends of the woman who rebuffed them, or more generally start looking for a fight.
The campaign aims to reach the audience in environments where messaging will have strong resonance by advertising in pubs and clubs, cinema and using social media. Published evaluation in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism shows the campaign was effective in shifting attitudes towards unwanted sexual attention and harmful drinking behaviour, specifically among women and those not enjoying drinking excessively on nights out. In 2017 the campaign targeted bystanders, introducing advice on what to do if you witness drunken harassment on a night out, “It’s OK to Ask”.
Key measures for the campaign are listed below, showing shifts in attitudes and behaviours among 18-24 year olds in the intervention region North West England (You Gov, 2017):
Measure | 2015 | 2017 |
Discussing the issue of sexual harassment in bars and clubs | 26% | 37% |
Agreement with the statement ‘If it’s groping when you’re sober, it’s groping when you’re drunk’ | 77% | 85% |
Agreement that inappropriate behaviour can be excused when drunk | 22% | 11% |
Males agreeing that persistent unwanted sexual attention runs a good night out | 74% | 82% |
Campaign recognisers intervening after witnessing any incident | N/A | 30% |
Drinkaware Crew is a behaviour change intervention, through providing training for venue staff in large clubs aiming to reduce and where possible prevent, harmful behaviours and incidents and keep young people safe on a night out. Working in pairs, Drinkaware Crew mingle with customers to help promote a positive social atmosphere and provide assistance to those who may be vulnerable as a result of excessive drinking (see a short 2 minute video, ‘Introducing Crew’).
Drinkaware Crew work with other members of staff, such as security and first aid, to ensure customers have positive experience where the risk of harm is minimised. The training programme was developed by Drinkaware with support from Hollaback, Street Pastors and Victim Support and is endorsed by the British Institute of Innkeeping. Piloted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and the South West, the pilot evaluation found evidence of the need for Drinkaware Crew and concluded that Drinkaware Crew are likely to have prevented harmful outcomes for vulnerable customers.
Following positive feedback from police, venues and other stakeholders in the pilot sites, Drinkaware Crew is
now in 17 UK cities including London, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham and Derby with a range of partners including Glasgow Community Safety, Best Bar None Scotland, Greater Manchester Police, the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and South Wales’ Students’ Unions and many Universities, Students’ Unions and affiliated venues.
Drinkaware Crew training has also been adapted for sporting events with the Racecourse Association and the RFU at Twickenham. We have also piloted Drinkaware Crew in two festivals in 2017.
Recognising the need to provide information and training for smaller venues that would not necessarily have the resources to have their staff work solely as trained Drinkaware Crew members, Drinkaware developed an e-learning course for ENTE employees on alcohol-related vulnerability which includes modules on recognising alcohol related vulnerability; alcohol-fuelled harassment; defining consent and predatory behaviour; understanding the employee role, including when to intervene; and working with security and other services.
This programme has been developed to enhance the knowledge of those working in the evening and night time economy and to help ensure a consistent area-wide approach to vulnerability training.
Partnership examples:
Nottingham – Drinkaware working in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police; Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner; Nottingham City Council and Nottingham BID, has delivered a city-wide partnership including:
- Drinkaware Crew schemes live in venues across the city centre;
- 1000 alcohol vulnerability awareness e-learning licenses delivered to city centre venues;
- Drinkaware Crew training delivered to fast food outlets and taxi marshals
- Co-branded Stay With Your Pack campaign delivered over Christmas period to encourage young adults to stay with their friends as a means of mitigating risk on nights out.
www.itsinnottingham.com/StayWithYourPack.
South Wales - Working in partnership with the South Wales PCC to deliver Drinkaware Crew in four Students Unions across South Wales; combined with delivery of ‘Wouldn’t Shouldn’t’ and ‘Ok To Ask’ campaign messaging over a two year period. https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/press/drinkaware-crew-launched-in-south-wales/
March 2018
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