Who hears the cries during the celebration?
As the World Cup comes to an end, people from all around the world are celebrating this grand finale as a symbol of unity. It is supposed to be a joyful moment for everyone. Yet for some people, the happiness in the air conceals cries for help.
Research from Lancaster University points out that the risk of domestic abuse rises by 26% when England wins or draws, 38% when they lose. But why? Are we drinking too much? And is it just a football thing?
It is absolutely normal for us to drink while watching the tournaments, or even when we are not watching the games, as it is the most common and effective way to get everybody high. But for some people, this becomes the excuse to act more aggressively and abuse their close ones, leading to a higher rate of domestic violence during the tournament. Alcohol may be one factor, but the real trigger for the abuse is the emotional stress of winning or losing during the game.
In 2011, David Card and Gordon Dahl found that unexpected losses by local NFL teams increased police reports of at-home male-on-female domestic violence in the United States. So no, it is not only just a football thing; it exists in other kinds of sports and other countries as well.
As a result, the Crown Prosecution Service urges the victims to seek help. And as university students, I believe we have the responsibility to raise more awareness about this issue, considering how easy it is for people to neglect the victims' voices unintentionally.
Sometimes, these victims may have difficulty speaking out. They could either be threatened, not notice that what they are experiencing is abnormal; or conversely people might not realise that they are asking for help, and it is up to us to help them out. At the same time, this issue is not only limited to female victims, but anyone could also experience it. We shouldn't make assumptions about who might undergo such a tragedy.
As Imperial students, going to the Union and watching the matches with friends is a must during the big tournaments, and I definitely recommend that. Even if you are not a football fan, it is still hard not to feel the triumph in a room filled with such joy. But meanwhile, we should also have the ability to notice and care for the people around us.
So when we are sitting back and watching the show, it is important for us to cheer, but also important for us to bear in mind that there might be victims out there experiencing unexpected pain.
