Public events & domestic violence myth

Feminists claim a bogus strong link between televised football and/or major sports events such as the U.S Superbowl to sudden (alleged) surges in the incidence of domestic violence.

A broader treatment of this topic was previously provided in another of my blog posts entitled ‘Fudging the figures to support the feminist narrative‘.

Given however that the media repeats the same theme in various western countries on a fairly regular basis, I have decided that it merits its own post here. But don’t take my word for it, just try word-searching on google, twitter, etc, using terms like ‘World Cup domestic violence’ or ‘Super Bowl domestic violence’ to find examples such as those listed below.

To start the ball rolling let’s begin by reading ‘Does most domestic violence occur on Super Bowl Sunday?‘ (7 September 2001), and then move on to ‘The World Cup Abuse Nightmare‘, by Christina Hoff Sommers (10 July 2010)

And most recently, here’s a November 2022 tweet from the @WomensAid feminist organisation:

As we get ready for #EnglandVsUSA to kick off, let’s not forget the many women who will be filled with fear tonight. Football doesn’t cause #DomesticAbuse but it can trigger existing abuse. #HesComingHome #WorldCup” (and here’s a parallel MRA thread)

Warnings of family violence spike on grand final weekend, concerns about those stuck in lockdown‘ (24 September 2021)

Family violence set to skyrocket on New Year’s Eve‘ (31 December 2020)

This weekend, Australia will become a more dangerous place for women‘ (22 October 2020) Australia, and ‘Reports of family violence spike during footy finals. Player, leaders & fans can do something about it‘ (19 October 2020) Australia

Further Australian variants of the same hoax include this 2014 article and another about the NSW State of Origin (2018)

I used to think the Melbourne Cup was as wholesome as … well … whatever. But oh, no! Here’s a sample of relevant articles that suggest otherwise:

This Melbourne Cup, alcohol and sport collide. Forget the horses. It’s domestic violence we should be watching for (1 November 2022)

Our Watch CEO: Keeping women safe is crucial ahead of next week (1 November 2019), Families not the winners on Cup day, and Melbourne Cup alcohol and domestic violence

Take a look at ‘Today, as many celebrate, Australia becomes a more dangerous place for women and children‘ (5 November 2019) for the unconvincing ‘proof’ of alleged jumps in domestic violence.

Then there’s ‘Domestic violence services brace for calls as some men take out their footy finals frustration‘ (20 September 2019) And take a look at Twitter to see how many feminist groups and White Knights are trumpeting this misandrist fable.

And here’s a couple of 2018 World Cup articles (example 1 / example 2)

Searches related to domestic violence spiked during both World Cup semi-finals (14 July 2018)

The Two Englands (12 July 2018)

Manager of Newtown pub fired for ‘joking’ about violence against women (19 July 2018)

But wait, a variation on the theme – it is alleged that people (men, of course) are more inclined to beat their partners after natural disasters. The ‘proof’ offered is (you’ll never guess!) calls for assistance from alleged female victims of abuse, offered up by staff of feminist agencies/NGO’s with a vested interest in any bumps in call volume. 

Feminist firefighter flak backfires, by Bettina Arndt (2022)

Andrew Dadley: Firefighter cleared of Christmas party rape (9 November 2021) In society might one thing might lead to another? In this case, a man being potentially subjected to a serious false accusation.

Domestic violence soars after natural disasters. Preventing it needs to be part of the emergency response (27 January 2021) 

Feminists Slander Australian Firefighters and All Men – The Fiamengo File Episode 114 (6 February 2020)

Bushfires: Agencies report post-natural disaster spike in domestic violence incidents (6 February 2020)

The Hidden Disaster: Violence in the Aftermath of Natural Disaster‘ (2013).

NSW, Sydney, QLD bushfire updates: Fury after activist links firefighters to domestic violence‘ (13 November 2019)

And next thing you know it is claimed that climate change is also a trigger for increasing level of domestic violence against women. Google search on ‘domestic violence climate change’ (for example) for more on this topic:

Temperature and intimate partner violence (30 November 2023)

Some words of wisdom from the Australian Ambassador for Women (28 June 2022) “The consequences of climate change can exacerbate the risk of sexual & gender-based violence, especially those facing intersecting forms of discrimination including Indigenous women & girls” (video) Note that unapproved readers cannot lodge comments – now a common trends amongst feminists on social media.

More floods in October 2022, and the predictable response from the domestic violence industry (in this case, Family Safety Victoria). 

Domestic violence spike expected in flood-ravaged northern NSW (23 March 2022)

First come floods, then domestic violence. We need to prepare for the next inevitable crisis (10 March 2022) “Domestic violence rates surge during and after bushfires, pandemics, earthquakes, cyclones and floods.” Of course we had to include floods … so topical at the moment. And even a link to some research. What’s the bet that if I consulted Dr Google that I’d find that some/all of the authors were feminists? Feminist story-tellers perhaps? And we know how professional and unbiased feminist research is, now don’t we?

The cost of climate change on women and girls internationally is dire (27 February 2020)

Climate breakdown ‘is increasing violence against women’ (30 January 2020)

Why climate change fuels violence against women (28 January 2020)

(Update 1 April 2020: Now not only are firemen labelled as likely domestic abusers, but according to state government Minister Lisa Neville, so too are recreational/sporting shooters. Don’t bother asking the date of the last time that a licensed firearm user was convicted of a DV-related murder in Victoria. You know she’s right)

Oh, and did I mention cold weather? (9 January 2014) or hurricanes? (July 2012)

The most recent variation on this theme are media statements regarding the real and imagined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of domestic violence. This topic is addressed in this other blog post.

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