Sports & Courts:
Why Domestic Violence Increases During Sporting Seasons
Note: underlined phrases contain links to the studies referenced in the article— always check your sources.
Sports have been the pinnacle of human culture for centuries– even millennia. From the Ancient Greeks to the modern Superbowl, live sporting events bring a sense of excitement and energy to their enjoyers. But can this energy sometimes conflict with how we as social beings interact with each other? Sure, there are rivalries between teams that can sometimes seep into their fans– we Californians know the long-standing battle between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants (god help us all). Our brain has a difficult time differentiating violence stemming from “fun” (verbal or otherwise) from violence in other areas of life. In Ancient Greece, habits of competitiveness were crucial to human development; but now that we live in a society where that type of behavior is frowned upon, how do these spikes of biological triggers affect us?
Now, to dive into a very serious topic rather suddenly, domestic violence is a concerningly common trend in countries all over the world. Further, rates of domestic violence increase substantially during sporting seasons. Already, one in every four women experience domestic violence– which translates to 24% of women– which further translates to about 40 million women in the United States alone. In fact, every twenty minutes, 20 people in the US experience some sort of violence from an intimate partner. The brain’s role in coaxing aggression, a phenomenon called hemogenic masculinity, and trends in alcoholic consumption are all explanations for this type of behavior.
There are some biological factors as to why sporting events entice violent and risky actions. One of the key contributors to the rise in domestic violence during sporting events is emotional arousal. High-stakes games, especially involving one’s favorite team or nation, elicit strong emotional reactions. These emotions—whether excitement, anxiety, frustration, or anger—are processed in the brain’s limbic system, which is responsible for regulating emotions and reactions to stress. When a team wins or loses, the emotional intensity can lead to impulsive behavior. The amygdala, which plays a central role in emotional processing, activates strongly during times of stress and can trigger aggressive responses. This heightened emotional state can override cognitive control, leading to poor impulse control. In some individuals, particularly those with existing tendencies toward aggression, this may translate into violence against intimate partners. Additionally, a dopamine rush associated with positive outcomes (like a team winning) can reinforce feelings of dominance or entitlement, which may increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior when these emotions are not appropriately managed. Conversely, when a team loses, frustration, disappointment, and anger might be channeled destructively, especially if the individual struggles with coping mechanisms.
Hegemonic masculinity refers to the societal pattern that describes traditional characteristics of being a man that is romanticized as the cultural standard. The concept of hegemonic masculinity was first researched in the early 1980s to explain why men at the time felt the desire to perform in a stereotypically masculine manner. For example, Hegemonic masculinity might inhibit a man from helping around the house if it involves traditional feminine chores such as cleaning or cooking. Additionally, men typically have a stronger connection to a psychological concept called ego-identification, in which one’s self-worth, identity, or sense of masculinity is linked with an external idea (in this case, a sports team).
Something we found intuitively unusual was the situational factors of abuse. Firstly, failures or “upset losses” tend to have a 10% increase in a partner behaving violently towards their spouse and/or children compared to the expected reported amount. However, a set of data from when the National English team lost indicates that abuse increased by 38%, compared to 26% when the team won. Another study from the University of Calgary found when their football team lost in the Grey Cup, calls to domestic violence hotlines increased by 40%. One hypothesis suggests that the (often unaccounted) factor of alcohol heavily affects the rate of household violence– celebration drinks, anyone? Alcohol consumption tends to increase during sporting events, particularly in cultures where watching a game is synonymous with socializing and drinking. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, both of which are important factors in domestic violence. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for intimate partner violence due to the negative effects it has on neurotransmission, brain cell metabolism, and blood flow within the frontal lobes and cerebellum. Neurotransmission affects the transference of information (thus impacting well-rounded decision-making), the frontal lobes (the house of personality, emotional control, reasoning, and social understanding), and the cerebellum (the house of memory and movement).
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, reach out to this hotline: +1 800 799 7233
Sincerely,
TeenPsychos
