Was that your first experience of/with someone ...

[navi tasan]

1) Was that your first experience with someone being violent to someone else in a public place?
2) Was that your first experience of someone being violent to someone else in a public place?

Which is grammatically correct and meaningful?

Let's say I describe an occasion when I witnessed someone being violent to someone else in a public place, and I am asked whether that was the first time I had such an experience.

 

[emsr2d2]

I find them both too wordy.

Was that the first time you'd witnessed violence in a public place?
Have you ever witnessed violence in a public place before?

 

[SoothingDave]

"Experience with" is better here.

 

[Tarheel]

Is that the the first time you've ever seen that happen?

 

[5jj]

"Experience with" is better here.

It's 'of' for me.

 

[jutfrank]

I say the normal preposition is of, following the pattern:

(to have) an experience of something

 

[tedmc]

I think it's usually "experience of an incident" "or experience with someone". The "being" indicates an incident.