The UK is a nation practically defined by its sport – whether by culture, history or pedigree. Football is arguably the most popular sport in the nation, and one which enjoys international fandom and recognition too. But for many in the UK, the beginning of a new football season is the start of an especially difficult time at home.
This is with thanks to a dark and damaging correlation which contributes to a climate of fear and danger for a key majority of the population. That correlation is between football and the spectre of domestic abuse. But how do these seemingly disparate topics correlate, and what is in place to unpick this damning indictment of modern culture at large?
A Dark Correlation
The correlation was quantified by a University of Lancaster study, which found that violent domestic abuse incidents increased by as much as 38% when our national football team lose a match. This dramatic leap in incidents is not the most shocking takeaway from this study, though – because incidents of domestic abuse increased regardless the outcome of an England match, with 26% more incidents reported after a win or draw.
The correlation between football events and domestic abuse incidents speaks to the profoundly flawed nature of society in the UK, where patriarchal norms have been structurally reified – enshrining toxic masculine traits in domestic situations, and reducing the efficacy of criminal justice systems in bringing the outcomes of such toxic masculinity to account.
A Broad Issue
It needn’t be explained, then, that football matches are not the sole cause of domestic abuse in the UK. Indeed, as explained by women’s charity Women’s Aid during the Euros: “Football doesn’t cause domestic abuse, but a big game can be the catalyst for increasing or more severe abuse.”
Also, domestic abuse is not as simply defined as the suffering of physical injury at the hands of a partner or spouse. Rather, the definition is much broader, encompassing a wide array of experiences and incidents which can negatively impact both physical and mental health. Domestic abuse can present as coercive control, psychological harm, verbal abuse, financial abuse and beyond – each of which have their own destructive impacts on the quality of someone’s life. All, though, share the end goal of gendered control and dominion.
Abuse and Recovery
Women who have been unfortunate enough to experience such a hostile relationship with an abuser have multiple potential avenues for support they can access. On an immediate level, they may be due civil recourse via brain injury claims where a physical assault resulted in acquired brain injury. On a pastoral level, escaping from such an environment can be profoundly difficult given the isolationary tactics of many abusers; women’s support networks are able to connect abuse survivors with funding and housing where necessary.