Bartenders Against Sexual Assault provides bar bystander intervention training, consulting, and crisis support resources to alcohol-based environments. It is the only industry-driven program to date in the nation and industry-response is overwhelmingly supportive of our work. We connect nontraditional funders and resources to sexual and bias-based violence prevention work. Proper Groove, houses three initiatives, two programs, and two developing programs at this time. We founded in 2015 and incorporated in 2017.

EPIC Moves Training Series includes EPIC Barstanders™ for patrons and a multi-session course for bars and establishments that incorporates education, prevention, intervention, and consent-positive programming in accordance to the CDC’s STOP Sexual Assault Technical Package. Our five flagship cities are Detroit, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Seattle, and San Francisco. There are other programs that simply offer a short workshop, which only increases the individual’s knowledge-base; what makes us stand-out is a commitment to promoting social norms that protect against violence and teaching skills in accordance to the nine prevention principles. We are committed to leveraging our network to facilitate real progress.

Conservative estimates of sexual assault prevalence suggest that 25 percent of American women have experienced sexual assault, including rape. Approximately one-half of those cases involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, victim, or both. Alcohol contributes to sexual assault through multiple pathways, often exacerbating existing risk factors. Beliefs about alcohol’s effects on sexual and aggressive behavior, stereotypes about drinking women, and alcohol’s effects on cognitive and motor skills contribute to alcohol-involved sexual assault.

We believe that alcohol-based establishments have a promising role to play in keeping people safe and we mean to make it happen!