The rise of domestic abuse during the World Cup in England

By Lola Bingham

Content warning: the following article discusses domestic abuse and violence.

While the World Cup brings communities together and inspires national pride, it also has a darker side that receives much less attention.

Warwick Business Bchool published a report in 2022 stating that there was a 47% increase in alcohol-related domestic abuse reports on the day of an England victory in the World Cup or European Championship.^[1]

Lancaster University found similar results.“Domestic abuse rose by 38 per cent in Lancashire when the England team … lost and increased by 26 per cent when the … team played and won or drew compared with days when there was no England match”.^[2] 

These findings demonstrate that the risk of domestic abuse increases during major international football tournaments regardless of whether England wins or loses. Football itself is not the cause for domestic abuse, but the heightened emotions and increased alcohol consumption are significant contributing factors.^[3] Therefore, it is imperative to understand the consequences that these games have for victims of domestic abuse, who are primarily women, across the country.

These figures should not be ignored by the Government, and instead these risks should be acknowledged and dealt with accordingly. Tackling abuse and ensuring victims feel able to come forward must remain a priority, especially in a time of economic difficulty and a cost-of-living crisis where victims may not be in a financial position to leave their abuser.

There is currently a Freedom from Violence and Abuse action plan in place (and the creation of the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection), last updated earlier this year. The plan itself highlights improvements to policing to better support victims and identify abusers. However, this plan for reform is scheduled to be rolled out by 2029.

These specialist units undoubtedly will be useful when implemented and there are current schemes in place to raise awareness. The Domestic Abuse Matters police training programme is an important step in ending domestic abuse, but systemic change and eradication are far from reality. ^[4]

With another European Championship before 2029, many victims remain vulnerable during this three-year roll out period. Domestic abuse is not only a problem during international football events but remains a constant issue.

Nevertheless, the action plan currently, and rightly, focuses on addressing the social attitudes and underlying factors that contribute to domestic abuse. However, there remains a pressure on the government to tackle the present issue of domestic abuse during the World Cup and beyond. Therefore, the question must be asked whether this plan is enough to protect victims.

The initiative therefore leaves many victims without the support they currently need and yet this is not reflected nor deemed an urgent matter by indication of this action plan, as all initiatives are to be implemented “by 2029”.^[5]

Currently only 1 in 5 victims report their abuse to police, which illustrates how much work remains to be done. In addition to this, the statistics mentioned above are therefore not fully representative of the number of incidents which occur during major football tournaments.

Per the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Statutory Guidance report, there is an acknowledged reliance on the “voluntary sector” and “statutory agencies” (p. 78). Therefore, charities such as Refuge and Women’s Aid, as well as local charities, play a vital role in supporting victims where the state falls short in both prevention and support.

While the recommendation for investment in “awareness raising, specialist training and systems change” (p. 78) is reported here, we have seen that this will be incredibly slow to implement. This is highlighted by the recommendation made here in 2022 and the action plan for these measures to be in place by 2029, a 7-year gap which leaves numerous victims vulnerable. ^[6]

Furthermore, the reliance on charities is telling of the limited capacity of the police to deal with domestic violence still. As a result, the government should be placing a higher priority and greater funding to better equip police to deal with the increasing number of domestic abuse reports.

This should include tackling attitudes to domestic violence from a young age through education as well as spreading awareness through official channels. This includes more visible policing campaigns surrounding the support available to victims and the means by which it can be accessed.

Small changes like this may increase the number of victims who feel that they can come forward, however this is still reliant on the framework in place to correctly support them.

Currently, there is a great deal of advocacy online which helps spread awareness on such pressing issues, but there is still more to be done in order to protect victims. And in a time like the World Cup which highlights these devastating realities for victims, the government should be seeking to give domestic abuse support and prevention a higher priority.

To seek help for domestic abuse, use the Refuge charity helpline: 0808 2000 247