Dublin's Nightlife simply isn't safe for everyone. It's time to move responsibility from victims to perpetrators.
The nightlife scene that Dublin offers to its residents and visitors is certainly one of its highlights, but increasing fears around safety can cause many to choose to stay in. It’s no secret that many people have had unpleasant experiences on nights out. Pubs and nightclubs can be brimming with people who’ve had too much to drink, or consumed illicit substances. This type of environment can be a breeding ground for harmful or antisocial behaviour.
Aside from any variation in crime rates in Dublin, many people, particularly women, are still wary of going on nights out.
Nightlife aside, Dublin has seen a steady rise in overall crime in the last ten years, yet according to the Central Statistics Office, the recorded number of crimes involving ‘Sexual offences’ and those involving ‘Public Order & Other Social Code offences’ in 2023 decreased. Aside from any variation in crime rates in Dublin, many people, particularly women, are still wary of going on nights out. It is impossible to discuss the dangers of the nightlife scene without immediately thinking of sexual harassment and violence towards women. The Liberty reported a woman’s account of having her hair pulled by a man in a nightclub and then getting aggressively slapped in the face by him upon telling him to stop. Naturally, experiencing any such interaction or even just hearing about it would encourage women to steer clear of nightclubs and similar spaces. Ruling out bars and nightclubs can become a desperate method to ensure your safety - yet it shouldn’t have to be this way.
Besides avoiding nightlife altogether, some women have invested in items aimed at self-protection, such as keychains rigged with alarms and drug testing kits for drinks. Drug tests seem helpful in avoiding date rape drugs such as ketamine or GHB, yet accoring to the Irish Independent, experts maintain that alcohol itself is still the leading date-rape drug.
In addition to efforts made by individuals, many bars and nightclubs have implemented safety procedures for their customers, through initiatives like “Asking for Angela” and ordering the “angel shot”, which are intended to be subtle ways for individuals to inform staff that they feel unsafe. While these are clever measures in theory, their level of effectiveness in practice have been questioned. In November 2024, the BBC conducted an undercover investigation across London to test the response of employees in such scenarios. It was of little success: in over half of the venues visited, the staff failed to respond accordingly, with many lacking the training or awareness of these initiatives.
Focusing solely on initiatives that require victims to take action allows businesses to avoid taking responsibility for actions that occur on their premises.
Although these are all good attempts to protect individuals from the potential dangers of nightlife, they have also received backlash. It could be argued that such initiatives wrongfully put focus on the victims of assault, rather than on the perpetrators of assault themselves. Many argue that instead of focusing on efforts by individuals to avoid assault, there needs to be a societal change, and additional measures taken directly against the assaulters themselves. Focusing solely on initiatives that require victims to take action allows businesses to avoid taking responsibility for actions that occur on their premises. Supplementary actions on the Government and establishments’ part would be steps in the right direction, and putting less responsibility on individuals simply wanting to enjoy Dublin’s nightlife.
Nobody should ever feel unsafe on a night out - and there needs to be a societal push in order to increase safety for everybody.