As millions of Americans gather for Sunday’s Super Bowl, a dark pattern will unfold: a spike in domestic violence.
This is not speculation. One peer-reviewed study found that male-on-female violence increases by more than 10% following unexpected NFL losses, especially in states where sports betting is prevalent. Year after year, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most dangerous days to be at home with an abusive partner.
Any honest discussion of football and domestic violence must also grapple with the NFL’s own history. Databases tracking player arrests show that domestic violence accounts for nearly half of all violent crime arrests in the league — far above its prevalence in the general population. These are public indicators of how deeply normalized violence against women remains in a sport that celebrates physical domination and aggression.
The NFL is one of the most powerful cultural institutions in the country. When a league that commands billions of dollars and national devotion struggles to take domestic violence seriously within its own ranks, it reinforces the same dangerous message echoed in courtrooms and police departments nationwide: that abuse is tolerable.
As a lawyer who represents survivors of domestic violence and their children, I see the consequences of this collective failure. We continue to tell ourselves comforting myths. That abuse is caused by anger or alcohol. That it’s about “losing control.” That if a victim were truly in danger, the system would step in.