Men who frequent nightclubs are being sought for an Edith Cowan University (ECU) research project that will examine what is deemed acceptable sexual behaviour in entertainment venues. PhD candidate Aimee-Rose Wrightson-Hester said the study aimed to examine people’s attitudes towards sexual behaviour – such as unwanted touching or kissing ­- in nightclubs. “We are aiming to get a good cross section of nightclub patrons, but so far 90 per cent of respondents have been female,” she said. “To get an accurate picture of what people think about this behaviour, it’s important that we get a good mix of male and female responses, otherwise we are excluding the voices of half of the population. “We hope to be able to better understand what nightclub patrons think of these types of behaviours. Such an understanding will allow us to make recommendations to nightclub owners regarding whether they should try to control such behaviour and how they might do that.” Ms Wrightson-Hester said the lack of male respondents could be because men and women use the internet differently. “We are primarily recruiting online, and there is research that has found that men tend to seek information on the internet whereas women are more likely to communicate and exchange information,” she said. “There is also some evidence that suggests that men find the time to participate in studies more burdensome than women, though this is an area that requires more research.” Different lines Ms Wrightson-Hester said it was important to look specifically at behaviour in nightclubs because the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour would not be the same as in other contexts. “I am interested in behaviour in nightclubs because they are venues where many people go with the explicit intention of finding a sexual partner,” she said. “What is acceptable behaviour in a nightclub, such as asking for someone’s phone number or offering to buy someone a drink, would be inappropriate in a workplace or other setting.” To take part in the research or for more information email Aimee-Rose Wrightson-Hester.