Author note: This article discusses sensitive topics involving domestic violence and gender- based violence. All readers are encouraged to seek support from McMaster’s resources if they feel it is necessary after reading. If you recognize some of these domestic abuse traits in your personal relationship(s), you are strongly encouraged to seek help from such resources or through other resources that are available to you.
As the World Cup comes to an end, soccer fans around the world are excitedly awaiting the next season, while others are holding their breath. For soccer fans, the quadrennial FIFA World Cup is a time of excitement and brings communities together; for others, it is a time of anxiety and unpredictability. Fans, many of whom are men, from around the world passionately cheer for their favourite teams. The World Cup season is full of exhilaration and adrenaline; unfortunately, these intense feelings are also responsible for the increase in domestic abuse during this season.
According to the UN, domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour in a relationship used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse can present itself as physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions as well as threats of actions that influence another person. Such actions may involve frightening, intimidating, terrorizing, manipulating, hurting, humiliating, blaming, or injuring someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and is no one’s fault but the abuser's.
The World Cup season creates a climate of intense control and fear in an abusive relationship. The domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid predicted that domestic abuse levels could increase by 38 percent during the World Cup. When England lost a game, domestic abuse rates increased by that exact number. More notably, cases of domestic abuse after England won a match rose by nearly 50 percent. Warwick Business School revealed that violence by partners increased by 47 percent after this single match. Why would they increase after a successful game? A researcher noted that the tournaments are “...often characterized with high levels of optimism, expectation, and yearning for the glory of England’s victory at the 1966 World Cup.” The cases of violence peaked three hours following the match, and the cases were mainly male abusers against women. The high emotions that men experience during the tournaments are channeled through their behaviour toward their partners, and their abusive tendencies are heightened.
The World Cup breeds an environment where “boys will be boys,” and in turn makes violence and harassment acceptable. The Women’s Aid surveyed that 24 percent of UK adults believe that it is appropriate, in some scenarios, for sports crowds to sing rude chants about women. 12 percent of this population said this was reasonable when the chants are said as a joke. Abuse against women largely begins with sexism, toxic masculinity, and the general patriarchal power structure that many people believe still reigns true. The mentality that “boys will be boys” and that harmless jokes are merely harmless is exactly what enables environments where women are humiliated, abused, and controlled.
Partaking in watching the World Cup often involves alcohol, which also contributes to higher rates of domestic abuse. The increase in alcohol consumption in combination with high emotions along with the soccer matches cause domestic violence to become more frequent and severe. A study found that domestic violence was higher than average the day after a tournament win, and cases involving alcohol were 18 percent higher than average. The World Cup and domestic abuse are both widely characterized by increased alcohol consumption. Any win may result in fans over-consuming alcohol and therefore increase the risk of domestic abuse.
The World Cup nor soccer creates domestic abuse, rather it exacerbates a pre-existing problem. It is important to note that these abusive environments exist before and after the World Cup. While this national event is thrilling and entertaining for soccer fans, for many others it is the opposite. Domestic abuse survivor Emma recounts her experiences during football season: “I always dreaded the football season; for my ex, it was another ‘excuse’ to get off his face on cocaine and drink too much. He would tell me it’s what the lads do. For him, it was fun; for me, it was fear.” She also recalled when his team lost, he projected his anger through alcohol and verbal abuse toward her. This demonstrates exactly how abusers use the World Cup to worsen the conditions of their toxic relationship. It also demonstrates how the relationship between the World Cup and domestic violence is no coincidence, and the abuse is near, if not wholly, intentional.
In sum, the World Cup has become a time of thrills, amusement, terror, and abuse. During a time of high emotions, combined with alcohol and misogyny, this season is a time of dread for many domestic abuse victims. To help put an end to domestic abuse, it is important to recognize that domestic abuse begins with sexism and should be ended by confronting and challenging it, although this is easier said than done. Everyone is deserving to celebrate this occasional and celebratory season rather than dreading it. Women should not be punished for a game that is not in their control, nor should they be responsible for sharing their partner’s disappointment through abuse. The surge in domestic abuse during this season should be a reminder that we are responsible for our own emotions, and being emotional over a ball being kicked around is not a valid excuse to abuse your partner.
Written by Aliyah Jose
Edited by Zoey Styres