A Suffolk charity helping victims of abuse puts staff on standby during the World Cup
Anglia Care Trust says large sporting events can exacerbate abusive situations.
A Suffolk domestic abuse charity says it's preparing for a possible increase in calls during the FIFA World Cup by ensuring extra staff are available and its 24-hour helpline remains fully operational.
Anglia Care Trust says large sporting events can bring heightened emotions and increased alcohol and drug use, which may exacerbate abusive situations.
The warning comes as the tournament gets underway, with previous figures from the National Centre for Domestic Violence showing reported cases can rise by 26% when England play, regardless of whether the team wins, loses or draws.
"It's all about having power and control over somebody "
Clare Grist, Operational Coordinator for the Domestic Abuse Outreach Team at Anglia Care Trust, said domestic abuse is ultimately about power and control rather than alcohol or sport itself.
She said: "We know that large-scale sporting events like the World Cup can sometimes cause heightened emotions, and we also know that substance misuse can increase.
"Neither of those is a cause of domestic abuse. That it's all about having power and control over somebody.
"However, those heightened emotions and increased use of substances can certainly exacerbate situations. It really is like adding fuel onto a fire."
The charity says it is preparing for a possible increase in demand during the tournament, with staff remaining on standby and its 24-hour domestic abuse helpline operating throughout.
Ms Grist said: "We're expecting perhaps more an influx of calls.
"We're making sure that we've got enough staff working. We're making sure that we've got our 24-7 helpline, which is active and available to anybody to use."
The helpline is available not only to victims, but also to concerned family members, friends and professionals seeking advice.
Warning signs
While physical violence can be one form of abuse, Anglia Care Trust says domestic abuse can also involve coercive, controlling, emotional, psychological and financial abuse.
Ms Grist said family members and friends should look out for subtle changes in behaviour.
She said: "It could be changes in behaviour, changes in persona, being more withdrawn, anxious, especially things like avoiding family occasions, maybe not catching up with friends so much, or even in some cases being absent from work."
She urged people to listen without judgement if they are worried about a loved one.
"It's really, really important to listen, support them and let them know you're going to be there for them no matter what," she said.
"Victims need to be heard, and they don't need judgments. They just need to be heard and listened to."
'Victims are already safety planning'
The charity says many victims are already taking steps to try to keep themselves safe, often without realising it.
Ms Grist said reaching out for support can be one of the hardest parts of the process.
"It takes a lot for somebody to reach out and ask for help. So that's brave in itself, and that's the first step," she said.
"The other thing to be mindful of is that victims are already safety planning. They're working daily to try and keep themselves safe."
She said support workers help victims understand their options, access legal and practical support and navigate any investigations or court proceedings.
"We're there to be non-judgmental, to listen, to help them understand what steps they can take and how they could be supported and walk alongside their journey really, to make sure that they're safe," she said.
Concerns over younger people
Ms Grist also expressed concern about what support services are seeing among younger people.
She said: "We know that it's becoming more predominant with young people as well."
Referring to the influence of online content, she added: "It's very, very easy for young people to be influenced in a certain way.
"If you're not seeing that healthy information that's being delivered, then you can start to believe that behaving in a certain way towards another person is acceptable and okay."
She described domestic abuse as an ongoing issue that requires continued support services.
"Domestic abuse isn't going away," she said.
"Those services are absolutely vital for people to really feel supported and to understand that the behaviour that they're in receipt of is not acceptable."
Anyone experiencing domestic abuse, or concerned about somebody else, can contact the Suffolk Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 977 5690. In an emergency, people should call 999.