E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
featurepics.com
If you're the dance floor of a crowded bar - watch out for fisticuffs, says a new study.
By Cari Nierenberg
If you shake your booty on the dance floor of a crowded bar, you could be in for a world of hurt. And your lousy dance moves are not to blame.
A recent study shows that the dance floor is the most likely place for fights to break out inside a large drinking establishment. The findings suggest that roughly 20 percent of the most harmful incidents took place on the floor itself; another 13 percent of them occurred near it.
The research, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, looked at "hotspots" for aggression in bars and clubs.
In the study, researchers made more than 1,300 visits to 118 bars and clubs in Toronto over a two-year period. They went to bars that could hold more than 300 people, and they went on Fridays and Saturdays between midnight and 3 a.m.
Researchers observed the customers for aggressive behaviors, and they rated them on a scale of 1 (minor non-physical harm) to 5 (actions causing pain, including punching and kicking). They even gauged how intoxicated the customers seemed that night.
They found that the dance floor was the top spot for aggressive behavior. "There's a lot of sexual aggression and aggressive horseplay on the dance floor in late night, large-capacity bars and night clubs," says study author Kathryn Graham, a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
Sometimes it was just sheer numbers -- the dance floor was the most crowded place on the premises and this sparked more incidents. And partly it was because that's where the most rowdiness between dancers and even bystanders took place.
But Graham was a little surprised that the area at or near the serving bar was the second most common location for bad behavior. She figures this was mainly a traffic and congestion issue.
Tempers there could also flare between patrons and staff over drink service. And when hot heads get hammered, it can get ugly.
"I suspect that a lot of the aggression near the serving bar was in the form of male-to-male violence where egos are on the line when people get bumped," says Graham.
Then again, "It may also be that this is a good place to hang around if you're looking for trouble," she adds.
While the dance floor was the #1 hotspot for aggressive behavior and the space near the serving bar was second, the tables came in third. This was followed by the hallways, aisles, and stairs in fourth, the entrance was fifth, and the pool tables were sixth.
Although only 4 percent of incidents took place at pool tables, the area had a high rate of barroom brawls likely brought on by people's competitive juices mixing with alcohol.
So, when you head out for a night on the town, now you'll know the high-risk locations at your favorite watering hole. And feel free to pass along this research to the bar staff so they'll keep things from getting out of hand in these potential trouble spots.
The worst fights? They took place outside the bar, of course.
Talk about this story on Facebook.
Leave a Comment:
Another groundbreaking study discovered an increase in brawls at bars outside Fenway Park right after a Yankees / Red Sox game.
I worked in university research for several years. A lot of studies, and probably this one, are conducted without funding. The students do rather simple studies in order to learn the techniques. In my discipline, and many others, the funding mainly comes from private enterprise. Its not tax dollars, but in a sense its taxpayers' dollars. They pay when they purchase goods from food to clothing to gasoline. I found private sector funding much more certain, reliable and timesaving.
Two things I take away from this article is damn, our government gives away too much money for frivolous research and studies at a time when people are starving, losing their homes, have no health care, etc. and second, I am so glad I don't go to bars. People have become less considerate of one another. Then you add alcohol to the mix in a crowded environment where people are trying to impress people with their dance moves, and it's explosive.
Didn't your read the subtitle of the study? Effects of Man-made Global warming on the incidence of Bar Fights in Dance Clubs.
The bars should serve marijuana instead of alcohol...Then the people would forget to fight!
plus make a killing on food & snacks...
If you study your american history after the westward expansion began and the influx of chinese immigrants started in this country almost every town, mining camp or tent city had chinese laundry, chinese food & chinese laborers (especially along the train lines being laid. Along with these were chinese opium dens, which became wildly popular. You never heard of fights/knifings or gun battles at an opium den. Many people try to write this part out of history.
While I am not for the widespread use of opium I do think it hypocrtitical of society to mark narcotics as evil while ignoring the dangers associated with widespread alcohol useage while smiling and collecting tax revenue off of it.
My belief is that free men should be allowed to choose for themselves. With the provision and responsibility that what they chose and do does not infringe upon the peace of others. Alcohol or rather irrisponsible use of it has made its point.
This is why I do my drinking during the daytime.
Yup, it's true. My dance dance revolution moves on the dance floor are the envy of all and have been the cause of many a jealous rampage by those less coordinated.
Darn near all bar fights start over some damn woman,which is the most stupid reason of all to get into a bar fight!
Been There, Done That,
I wasn't the aggressive one, ever. Lover, not a fighter, but I wasn't going to back down either. 99.9% of the fights in these establishments were caused by unknown factors on my point. The chick I was dancing with had a current boyfriend, and he showed up there. The chicks X-boyfriend was there, or the chick was married, and didn't have her wedding ring on. The aggression always occured on the dance floor or just as I was coming off it. Many would have there bro's backing them up, but what they didn't know was my bros were standing right behind them. I've been Sunday punched, and hit with a pitcher.
I never went to these kinds of bars with the mindset of starting a fight. If your a half way decent dancer and lucky to be blessed with the genes. Young women would hit on you, and this caused fights between women. Many of these chicks wanted love, but I ONLY wanted friends with benefits.
I was young, and my testosterone level was probably off the scale. Not bragging, but I know how many chicks I did, and once the hunt was over, I was onto the next. As the saying goes, "Young and dumb, and full of Cu*."
Most surveys have been done on the guy, Like how he was a dog, and married when he messed around. Well let me tell you. Women aren't so innocent. I never messed a chick I knew was married, but I can't even begin to count how many I later found out were married. WOW, those were some crazy days. It was all about sex, and you can blame it on whatever you want, but the fights were all about who's getting laid!!
"I wasn't the agressive one, ever." "I was young, and my testosterone level was probably off the scale."
"...the chick was married..." "I never messed a chick I knew was married..."
Aren't you a fount of chivalry. Not too hard to figure out who started the fights around you. You're in denial, and should really see a therapist.
Good point Mike, I was just going to say something similar. Issuing blame else where.
??
Just dance with the one you love in your own living room. A nice meal. A nice bottle of wine, and a very nice night together. I guess the bar scene is for the young. Me? I'm over it. Too me? A party is what I listed above. Maybe some friends over too. But, later on, it's just me and my gal.
that is the best party, one on one. these days and times and especially when you get a certain age, you are over the club scene. I would rather go to an oldies club where they hand dance. May still have an old fool cutting up, but rarely.
Plus, I prefer to meet women at other places. Bars? I'm over it.
I will say this though, back in the day, I had some moves. Still gottem.
I am with you on that Mud. I used to stay on the floor for hours. did not need a partner at times. just did my thing.
Fights get started in a bar because the employees aren't paying attention to their customers. I don't mean getting a drink served up quick-like, or not pouring a strong enough shot, but I'm talking about watching the crowd. There are always indicators leading up to physical confrontations and it's a bad reflection on the bartenders and servers(waitresses) alike when it gets out of hand. If security or the bouncers have to get yelled at to deal with a problem, you have to wonder where their attention is. If they've been in the business for any length of time at all it should be almost instinctive to respond to trouble. I used to give the trouble-makers or would-be trouble-makers one chance and then tell them to hit the road. Another big problem is that government has turned the servers into society's baby sitters, and no matter how they deal with issues, it seems to always come back to bite them. How many times have we heard about customers, either refused service or thrown out, come back with revenge on their minds and retaliate with either vandalism to the place or attack the people they feel are responsible for interrupting their night of fun? Or, the ultimate, the old lawsuit trick. Let the servers in the industry do their job as they've been trained to do, and maybe it won't be such a big problem to maintain control.
watching the crowd is more of the bouncers job, not the other employees, the servers, bartenders, etc. have enough on their hands bringing the drinks. some clubs have people with weapons and even the bouncers take chances approaching them.
It's been a long time (I outgrew hanging out in bars) but a lot of the guys went, intentionally looking for a fight. Any excuse would do -- someone looked at their GF wrong, someone spilled their drink, someone bumped into them. Whatever, it was a good enough reason to start something.
The owner would impose bans on the customers that caused trouble -- a week, two weeks, a month -- and those guys would hang out in the parking lot, looking pathetic because all of their friends were inside the bar.
Additionally, this place didn't sell beer in bottles and there was a cage around the bandstand....
They really didn't need a study for this -- just go spend a few Saturday nights at the Round-Up.
Don't frequest bars, but will keep that in mind. A lot of crazy people out there.
Who wants to fight anyway? It was all about meeting someone.
gave up the club scene decades ago. used to hit them all. different times now where you may get stabbed or shot looking at someone wrong.
In other news... multi-year study led by an international team of scientists with the latest technology has concluded water is in fact, wet.
Stay out of those ungodly places and you wouldn't be envolved in those devil's brawls.
I spent 25 years as an owner in the restaurant/liquor business. While my establishment wasn't nearly as large as the ones in the study, I can assure you, from my personal experience, that their findings are most accurate...what ever the reasoning behind the behavior. One tee shirt's inscription tells it all, it states: "Instant ass hole" [Just add alcohol].... throw in some tits and ass and you've got a combustible situation!!
Good reason to STAY OUT OF BARS AND "CLUBS" !!! People getting likkered up and stoned - and add weapons - guns and knives - no good will come of it !!!
"Where do most bar fights start?"
I was gonna answer "in bars...", but maybe I was being too literal.
Personally, I think most fights start around a pool table, if there are pool tables in the bar. If we are talking "chick fights", I'd pick the women's restroom. Dance floor would have been 3rd on my list.
It has been my experience that most fights start before the person ever enters the bar...some people cant control their ego and these pretend tough guys have it on half cock before they even arrive.....its just a matter of time before they feel slighted or insulted and have to cause a physical altercation. Its usually the guys that are insecure and cant get a girl so they want to be a horses a$$.
Others go out to have a good time with friends and keep it a good time.
The writer has never been to the dance in Chiloquin, Oregon on Saturday night. Always at least 2 or 3 fights. Has been since my father was a part time policeman thee 80 years ago. Anytime, you get music, booze and a bunch of people together there is going to be a fight.
It's not sexual aggression, it's not anything more than:
"Look, buddy, you're drunk and keep stepping on me!"
"Uh huh? Imnotasthink asyoudrunkiam!"
Fight breaks out.
This study was invalid because Patrick Swayze was bouncing at the club after the owner of the Double Deuce fired him for tearing dude's throats out! ROADHOUSE!
LOL!! Was just thinking that when I read a post about chicken wire around the band! Hilarious!
Mijo was bad ass in the movie.