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New video urges football fans to tackle domestic violence

Friday, 24 April 2015 15:22 GMT

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Can football help to clamp down on domestic violence in the UK?

The chorus of boos that rings around the stadium after Chelsea defender John Terry launches into a dangerous sliding tackle suddenly turns into a roar of approval as the referee reaches into his pocket and brandishes a red card.

Yet the thunderous atmosphere of the Premier League football match swiftly fades into static as the camera zooms out to reveal the game being shown on a television in a living room.

An aggressive man dominates the frame as he threatens his partner, raising his hands and pushing her violently off screen.

"We don't let violence on the pitch go unpunished," the video says. "So why do we let it go unpunished in the home?"

The film is part of a campaign by domestic violence charity Women's Aid, alongside national footballing bodies, sports media, football clubs, the police, players and fans, to send out the message that domestic violence is always unacceptable.

An average of two women a week in England and Wales are killed by a partner or former partner, campaigners say

"Domestic violence is something which people often do not talk about despite it affecting hundreds of thousands of women and children every year," says Polly Neate of Women's Aid.

Around 1.4 million women were victims of domestic violence in the year to March 2014, up 1.4 percent from the previous year, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

The police often attribute such increases to improved recording and greater confidence among victims to report crimes.

Yet Women's Aid fears that such stats exclude female victims who suffer threatening and controlling abuse without being physically attacked.

Domestic violence in Britain is a deeply troubling issue, widespread across races, religions, communities and cultures, according to a British parliamentary watchdog.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights said in a report earlier this year that it had received evidence of the police failing to responding promptly to allegations of violence against women and girls or to make dealing with the issue a priority.

The link between football and domestic violence is tenuous at best, with studies and reports offering various conclusions.

A Scottish study published last year found reports of domestic violence increased significantly on days of certain football matches, particularly important games or those against a traditional rival.

However the report's co-ordinator said it would be too simplistic to suggest that football caused domestic violence.

As part of a study into domestic violence during major football tournaments, relationship counsellor Paula Hall told the BBC that football doesn't cause domestic abuse, but said "it's an issue which in some relationships can compound it".

Given the negativity surrounding men watching sport and domestic violence, how can football be used to clamp down on this crime?

Through uniting campaigners, clubs and fans, the Football United Against Domestic Violence campaign can call out sexist behaviour that underpins violence against women and girls, Women's Aid says.

"Football is the world's language, it has such a big community, and it's an amazing way to connect people to spread the message that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our society," says Alice Stride, a Women's Aid spokeswoman.

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