The Frequency of Third-Party Involvement in Incidents of Barroom Aggression

Abstract

This paper examines the frequency and nature of third-party involvement in aggressive incidents occurring in young people's bars and the effects of third parties on incident outcomes. Observational data were collected in 12 bars frequented by young people, and telephone interviews were conducted with 31 young people who responded to advertisements posted at the university campus. In total, 154 incidents of barroom aggression were analyzed. Overall, 49% (76) of incidents included third-party involvement by other patrons. About 40% (n=31) of third-party incidents involved nonaggressive third parties, 22% (n=17) involved aggressive third parties, and 38% (n=29) involved both aggressive and nonaggressive third-party participants. Nonaggressive interventions were more likely to decrease aggression, while aggressive interventions were more likely to increase aggression (χ2=65.5, p<.0001). Females appeared to be somewhat more likely than males to intervene nonaggressively (χ2=11.3, p<.1). The intoxication levels of participants were highest in incidents involving both nonaggressive and aggressive third parties (F-ratio=4.6, p<.01). These findings suggest that third parties play a significant role in the outcome of barroom aggression among young people, and that further research is needed on the role and impact of third parties.