i-DocServe ltd

Win or lose this summer…there are no excuses.

“There is never an excuse for domestic violence, win or lose” is the message that police forces across the country are sending out as Euro 2012 kicks off this week. Police throughout England have drawn upon their experience of domestic violence rates during the 2010 World Cup in order to prepare for this month’s international football tournament. Research has shown that domestic violence reports surged throughout the World Cup at an alarming rate, therefore portraying a significant pattern. 

Whilst many of the population will be looking forward to three weeks of football and (hopefully) celebration, many victims of domestic violence will be bracing themselves for a higher chance of being abused. Police forces have used an extensive focus upon advertisement leading up to the tournament in order to draw attention to the issue.

BBC research found that when England beat Slovenia in 2010, domestic violence rose by 27% per 1,000 people. In addition to this steep rise, incidents rose by as much as 29% when England lost 4-1 toGermany. These shocking statistics show a national pattern that has put police officers on high alert for the Euros.

The main question that has arisen from these statistics is “why”? As with many issues, there has been a great deal of speculation about why domestic violence is more prevalent during such events. There does appear to be a widespread belief that it is not football that causes domestic abuse, however in some relationships such tournaments can be a heavy trigger for incidents of violence.

Many professionals point out that football matches are greatly linked with an increased alcohol intake. However, there can be a multitude of other factors and some of those mentioned include a lack of empathy from one partner, increased time spent with friends or an increase in money spent.

Police forces across the country have been offered guidance as to how to deal with any increase in domestic violence during the tournament. The focus will be upon working with agencies in order to make victims aware of the help available to them. This can be seen in the aforementioned advertising campaigns currently seen in many counties.

Surrey Police have vowed to put extra officers on duty on each England match day, aswell as issuing a warning poster to draw attention to the issue.

The Football Association refused to comment on a subject that they do not view as a football matter, much to the dismay of many domestic violence charities.

Surrey Police have launched an extensive advertisement campaign to draw attention to domestic violence.