FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas students and volunteers will be canvassing bars and other establishments that serve alcohol in Northwest Arkansas for the first Project BRAVE Bystander Outreach. 

This will take place in the evenings of Thursday through Friday, April 27-28.

Project BRAVE stands for Bystanders Responding Against Violence Everywhere. It is a prevention effort to help bystanders recognize the variety of situations that can lead to violence, and equip them with tools and strategies to prevent incidents, especially drug and alcohol-related sexual assault. The project is led by Mindy Bradley associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice.

Project BRAVE is encouraging local businesses to become community partners to:

• Promote a safe environment in local bars and establishments selling alcohol
• Inform people about alcohol-facilitated sexual assault, date rape drugs, and local statistics
• Create dialogue around alcohol impairment and sexual assault

“Between 13-15 percent of college students report experiencing nonconsensual sexual aggression while in college, the large majority of these occurred when one or both parties are intoxicated,” Bradley said. “Yet less than half of University of Arkansas students say they would intervene if they saw a friend potentially engaging in sexual behavior with someone too drunk to consent. Project BRAVE is working to change that. It will seek permission to hang fliers with information and encourage bystanders to recognize and report suspicious activity and drinking behavior that can lead to dangerous situations.”

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.