"תנו לי ליהנות": גילויי אלימות מינית כלפי נשים בחיי הלילה העירוניים

The current article examines the ways that women describe sexual violence that takes place in pubs, bars, and clubs, as well as their methods of coping with violence of this kind. In the context of the study, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women between the ages of 20 and 35 who had been harassed/attacked in nightlife venues at least once in their lives. The findings indicate that sexual assault is a prevalent phenomenon in urban nightlife, from sexual harassment to the drugging and rape of women. Additionally, the findings point to a variety of techniques employed by the women to protect themselves. The interviewees’ experiences indicate that these techniques are either only partially useful or not useful at all. In the discussion, the findings are tested against a theoretical background, including normalization theory, exploring the concept that sexual harassment is part of the norm of urban nightlife. Finally, the research gives rise to a call for change and a demand to preserve women’s well-being in nightlife venues, putting forward a number of operational suggestions for the improvement of the situation.