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?

Was aware there is a link (think it was on a documentary about DV).

Can there not be some sort of TV campaign (like something Samaritans/NSPCC do) - ?

Obv cost money but, a bit like Christmas, some special events do have a darker side - would be worth pushing for somehow.

Pan, how about this?

Don't live with men who become violent when they drink too much.

WY Police 'running a campaign'???

FGS, and what precisely will be the outcome of this or the myriad other campaigns or 'awareness raising sessinos' flagged up by well meaning but clueless folk.

Complete waste of time.

The other thing which occurred to me is that in such 'spikes' we are probably seeing a number of perpetrators who are 'first timers'? That the link between footie, alcohol, and violence to a partner is cemented.

moonie - I am not asking for a campaign, as I have said. But neither am I wishing to ignore a clear problem. And me and my ilk are not 'clueless'.

thaks prolesworth.

There is talk of a local push near to me where a football jersey with "Strike-her" is emblazoned, with a small trail of blood of it. Pretty dramatic.

Look Pan, you know I love ya.

But I must say that my professional forte is unveiling the myriad utterly ineffectual 'campaigns' and 'awareness raising events' that have proliferated over the last few years. The vast majority make eff all differnce.

I'm not sure we can do anything but say 'Dv. Hmm, yes, terrible, terrible.'
And then get back to spinning a few top tunes.

Pan. are you still in that job? (it's avenanap, you still owe me an opera evening)

Pan has more then the normal amount of knowledge on this moondog, hardly clueless.

I know Pan is not clueless.

Knowing that a problem exists and how to solve it are two very different things though.

yes and you are gorgeous too. We just differ about where you start to change thinking. This seems a really good time to get women AND men to look at what happens when footie happens. It isn't supposed to be earth-shattering, or any such thing.

yes agree, don't live with a violent drinker is the answer. But, lots of women do, and I am asking how can this event be best managed.

Well actually, don't live with a violent drinker isn't the answer.

Don't be a violent drinker is the answer.

Didn't they make beer mats for something? Is there any research to say that these were effective?

Prole, where is your evidence?
Becuase for any you unearth, I will come back with much more to show you that this stuff doesn't work.

Well I'm coming at this from another angle.

Four years ago during the WC I took home from the hospital a premature baby and my X was in a vile humour as he just wanted to concentrate on football. Everything revolved around football. He put the baby in the hall (in pram/bouncer) outside the room when he cried and slammed the door shut (a signal to me not to go to the baby).

Every time I read that another one of his bizarre behaviours was somehow typical or predictable, it helps somehow. It cancels it out just a little bit. The more TEXT BOOK he was in his treatment of me, the less it was about me.

So maybe 'raising awareness' also helps the people put a tag on something they knew wasn't right but didn't know what it meant.

Come on then Moondog- let's see it.

avenanap - opera noted!

moonie - it is difficult to show the 'effects' directly associated with 'campaigns'. I think proles is right in pointing to drink drive. And what about wearing of seat belts? And then there is campaigns against apartheid. And votes for women FGS....

I don't see how raising awareness can do any harm.

I think at the very least it would strike a chord in people's minds. If they'd been trying to rationalise as normal some behaviour in their partner, hearing that this connection is officially recognised would make it harder to silence the warning bell in the back of your mind.

Maybe the campaign won't make men less likely to be abusive during the World cup, but maybe it will make women who suffer it more likely to join the dots.

And that's a crucial part of it. Recognising it, figuring out whats acceptable to the REST of the World. You can lose your judgment in abusive relationships. Campaigns like this will be reminding women that something they try to rationalise, excuse ignore or make light of is not after all normal.

belle - I think I have changed job since we last spoke - it was a promotion! but sill with the same area of work.

I ahven't been opera-ing for about 2 years. Would want to sort something out with you and book it! Do you still have my email addrss??

Yes. I shall email you. Well done on the promotion

Promoting this can't do anything negative, surly if it helps one woman/man from being harmed then it's worth the effort.

thanks MagalyZz - it sounds pretty awful for you and little one.

And you are so right. The point of the thread isn't to promote a campaign as such - just as you say so elequently so 'join the dots' and anticipate what seems to be a very anticipatable liklihood.