# Evaluating the Effects of the Bar Outreach Project in North Carolina

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE · 2022 · $374,970

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The prevalence of sexual violence (SV) is still unacceptably high in the United States; 43.6% of women and
24.8% of men have experienced some form of it in their lifetimes (Smith et al., 2018). Alcohol has been
identified as a leading risk factor for both victimization and perpetration of sexual assault (Behnken, 2017;
Richer et al., 2017); SV risk is also increased in social contexts that promote heavy drinking (i.e., bars) and in
communities with a high density of alcohol-serving establishments (Cunradi et al., 2014; Pridemore et al.,
2013). Bystander intervention programs take a multilevel approach to addressing SV risk (McMahon &
Banyard, 2012), but, outside of school and campus settings, they have not been rigorously evaluated for SV
outcomes. There is a critical need to test the effectiveness of SV prevention approaches in community settings
where alcohol is prevalent and to understand their effects on both individuals and communities. The proposed
study will assess the effectiveness of the Bar Outreach Project (BOP), a package of training and support for
alcohol-serving establishments, for primary prevention of SV. The BOP has been implemented in Buncombe
County, North Carolina, since 2008 by the Rape Prevention and Education-funded organization Our VOICE.
Grounded in Social Norms Theory (Berkowitz, 2003; 2005) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991),
BOP promotes anti-violence norms and creates safer environments by increasing bystander intervention
among bar staff. To date, no research has examined the impact of BOP or studied conditions for successfully
implementing and evaluating it. During Component A, the proposed study will assess the evaluability of BOP
through formative research and pilot testing (Aim 1). Then, the evaluation will use an effectiveness-
implementation hybrid design (Hybrid I; Curran et al., 2012) to assess the impact of BOP on neighborhood-
level and patron-level rates of SV victimization (Aim 2), assess the impact of BOP on bar staff and environment
outcomes and examine how these factors predict patron outcomes (Aim 3), and examine the conditions and
characteristics necessary for effective implementation and improved staff and patron outcomes (Aim 4).
Administrative data about rates of SV in intervention and comparison communities, repeated surveys of
patrons and staff at 15 intervention and 15 comparison bars, semistructured interviews with managers and
staff, research team observations, and Our VOICE implementation records will be used to evaluate
effectiveness and implementation and to measure costs. The BOP is manualized for dissemination and has
shown strong community acceptability. The outcomes of this study are expected to have an important positive
impact by expanding the evidence base for SV prevention in the key areas of promoting social norms and
creating protective environments and by informing future successful implementation of such programs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10438193
- **Project number:** 5U01CE003216-03
- **Recipient organization:** RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Marni L Kan
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $374,970
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10438193

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10438193, Evaluating the Effects of the Bar Outreach Project in North Carolina (5U01CE003216-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10438193. Licensed CC0.

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