Would you let this guy into a bar? Identifying cues that signal a perceived increase in the propensity for violence of potential bar patrons

Objectives

Bars, pubs, and clubs are hotspots for alcohol-related aggression. Consequently, admittance decisions made by security personnel have important implications for the safety inside these venues. However, the cues used by security personnel to determine the potential for intoxicated violence and inform admittance decisions vary substantially.

Methods

Here, we manipulate theoretically and practically relevant cues to determine the effects of their utilization on perceptions of violence and admittance decisions. Participants viewed images of real inmates convicted of violent or non-violent crimes, accompanied by cues derived from interviews with security staff.

Results

We found that body tenseness, drug and alcohol intoxication, searching behavior, avoidant behavior, and neck and face tattoos were positively associated with a greater perceived likelihood of violence. Admittance decisions mirrored these findings. Students and security personnel differed in their utilization of some of the cues.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, the current research was the first to take a quantitative approach to understanding the cues that security personnel and young adults might use to identify potentially violent patrons. These finding may help inform training for security personnel.