Domestic Violence Could Rise When a Favored NFL Team Loses

October 05, 2011

Domestic Violence Could Rise When a Favored NFL Team Loses

The Domestic Violence Resource Center (the Center) reports that there are anywhere from 960,000 to 3 million domestic violence cases in the United States per year. The exact number is hard to pinpoint because a significant number of occurrences are not reported to authorities.

Additionally, the Center cites the facts that 85% of domestic violence victims are women, that race is not an indicator of vulnerability, and that 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

Impact of Football Upsets

America loves football. While baseball is still considered the national pastime, there is no question that the most popular sport in America today is football. Fans often dedicate entire weekends to watching their favorite teams play, and the Super Bowl is indisputably the most watched television program each year -- even though many people only watch the commercials.

Fans become emotionally involved with their home team, so much so that a new study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and reported by U.S. News found a 10 percent rise in domestic violence when a team suffers an unexpected loss. This effect is compounded when a loss is against a traditional rival, raising the increase to 20 percent.

Interestingly, the same study found no correlation between an unexpected win and a decrease in domestic violence incidents. U.S. News writes that the authors of the study confirmed their belief that unexpected disappointments have a stronger impact on people than pleasant surprises.

Finally, it is important to note that these findings are not restricted to sporting events. For example, if an abuser gets a flat tire on the way home or if someone received bad news at work, they too would be more likely to act out in violence.

Victims of Domestic Violence

The National Football League's regular season is 17 weeks long and is followed by several weeks of playoffs. Anyone who has been the target of domestic violence should speak with an experienced domestic violence attorney immediately, even though it is understandably difficult to do so.

However, no one should ever be subjected to physical or emotional abuse, and a qualified attorney can help put it to an end.

Article provided by DeRoberts Law Firm
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