When people think of the World Cup, they think of the world class players, fans cheering in the stadiums and the vuvuzela.
One charity hopes to shift that conversation to a more serious topic: Domestic violence.
Tender, a British charity that strives to raise awareness on domestic abuse issues among young people, created a short video that is going viral.
The video ends on a grim statistic: Domestic violence rises 38 percent in England when the country gets knocked out of the World Cup.
Tender cites a study done by three researchers at Lancaster University over the course of three tournaments in 2002, 2006 and 2010. According to the study, domestic abuse increased by 26 percent in the country when England won or tied their game. When the team lost, the number rose by 38 percent.
While there are few other studies on the topic, the group says the trend cannot be ignored.
"The weather is getting warmer, more drinks will be consumed, emotions will be heightened, and none of this excuses violence," Tender says on their website.
The charity invites others to join their #StandUpWorldCup campaign to spread awareness of domestic violence during the World Cup.
IN-DEPTH
- Join the #StandUpWorldCup Campaign (Tender)
Can the FIFA World Cup Football (Soccer) Tournament Be Associated with an Increase in Domestic Abuse? (Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency)