Domestic Violence and the World Cup

[LordPanofthePeaks]

I raise this after an exchange of emails with MN HQ and after checking the list of issues raised in this topic list.

Posters may or may not be aware of the significant rise in the experience of DV at the times of football tournaments, and most specifically the World Cup.

Anyone googling this issue will read some startling statistics, and would appreciate that as the tournament draws near this is a heighten time of risk to women. In the borough where I work the highest ever reporting time of DV was when England played Paraguay last time ( and won).

I don't wish to killjoy a fabulous event, but the darker side of it should not be ignored.

Nationally, DV incidents reported 'spike' at these times, and we can speculate why.
I do have a professional ( and personal) interest in this, and am keen to promote an awareness of this danger. I do have responsibilities in a public organisation for Domestic Violence, as well as Children and Families, and have noticed a lack of promotion of this danger which can be so easily predicted.

So I am inviting a discussion and pointers for how people, both perptrators and potential victims can do what they can to avoid this nasty experience. MN do not ahve a current DV campaign, though the strength of opinion from posters may change this.

Anyone?

yes, it sort of makes sense, as it were. In June/July 2006 we had the highest monthly reporting, and that was up by 30% on the same period in 2005.

So would an awareness of this make a difference?

I've heard about this before, it also applies to christmas. My ex-next door neighbours had a huge argument (last world cup!) and he ended up spending the night in the police cells. I think it's down to the alcohol consumption and the 'excitement' that people have. There should be a campaign to warn of the dangers.

Perhaps target the supermarkets who promote alcohol alongside football merchandise....the supermarkets appear to promote the "let's get hammered whilst watching football"

www.musc.edu/vawprevention/research/football.shtml

I am on a friends laptop right now, and can't navigate between sites very well! But, google "Domestic Violence and World Cup" and you will see info. I refer to?
What is so unforgivable, I think, is that it is so clear, but so far we are not pointing to it.

yes belle, thinking about it, one has lots of 'football-themed alcohol' heightened excitement, people in your house who you may not wish to ahve in your house,and childen to maange as well. Quite a bit like Christmas...

www.strathclyde.police.uk/index.asp?locID=1430&docID=6735 There's a 41% increase in domestic violence on days where there's football matches according to this.

yes chuck - I was at an ice hockey game in Vancouver - the crowd were v. quiet unti la fight broke out on the rink - all the crowd got very involved then afterwards went home satisfied and no trouble afterwards.

I have just found this

However, Prolesworth's report also says that:

"While domestic violence was reported at significantly higher levels on the
weekends where England played in World Cup games, the domestic violence
incidents rate was significantly higher than average on similar weekends last
year. We therefore cannot conclude that the World Cup events are a direct
cause of the peaks in domestic violence during the period. Football possibly
adds to the other complex factors involved in the occurrence of domestic
violence, e.g. alcohol, as football may be a facilitator to drinking too much."

It's clearly related to drinking, but I guess the likelihood of drinking shoots up with major sprting events on television.

yes Portia - thats from 2006, and I did read that as it happens a few days ago.
I raise the thread as we are 6 days away from the first England game, and as I say re Paraguay, the match result has no bearing on the incidence of DV. Win or lose there will be a spike in DV. Do we have preparations for this at all?

Thanks for raising this Pan. I was aware of the link between football and DV, but it hadn't crossed my mind that the World Cup would lead to a spike in incidents.

There was a very good piece about this on Radio 4 during the week - I assume Women's Hour. It said that police were contacting known offenders in a particular area prior to big matches and "having a word", and that this seemed very effective.

I agree there should be much greater awareness of the issue.

Also interesting - 'we cannot conclude that the World Cup events are a direct cause.. '. But there is enough suspicion, and reasons for it.

Would this awareness change anyone's behaviour?

yes hassled, part of my job is to encourage people to 'have words' with others who have been convicted of DV offenses, which I have.
Still, that is a small part of a much bigger picture of prevention.

I suppose prevention would be 2 fold - in terms of the perpetrators, promoting zero tolerance/moderating drinking/advice for those who are concerned about their alcohol intake, and in terms of victims, promoting the work of local police, so that people feel encouraged to report, or for those who can't/won't go "on the record", information about organisations such as WA and the Freedom Program, and generally raising awareness about DV/myths with a view to a more supportive culture for victims.

I am not sure how a group of right on women (and the odd bloke, granted) tutting about how DV isn't on is going to change anything.

As is invariably the case, such campaigns have littel to no effect on those who perpetuate such crimes.

Perpetrate (oh and perpetuate. Poss.)

Sorry, the internet went haywire.

The US have the same occurances of domestic violence as the UK. There are already alot of threads on here asking for help from members living with domestic violence. I think it would really help if there was advice on here and a link to the women's aid site.

I think that there are more cases because there's more situations that have got out of hand rather then those of prolonged domestic violence. Partners do drink more, emotions are at a high and maybe arguments get out of hand rather then the partner who regularly beats their partner. I don't think "having a word" would be effective in these cases. A limit on the amount of alcohol that can be sold may work better.

moonie - I don't think concern is restricted to 'right on women' or men.
I am not asking for a campaign as such - just ot raise it as a forseeable phenomenon, and asking how it can be prepared for in advance.