[Port Elizabeth, South Africa; December 7. Image via Getty]

A group of young South African children in Port Elizabeth wave flags (Germany) of the countries that are taking part in the 2010 Fifa Football World Cup in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, 2010. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

[Gugulethu, South Africa; December 2. Image via Getty]

Girls play football in the Gugulethu township outside of Cape Town on December 2, 2009. With the draw for the World Cup 2010 turning Cape Town into a hive of activity, the townships are still untouched by the build up. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

[Vientiane, Laos; December 2. Image via Getty]

A Vietnamese female fan attends a football match between Vietnam and Thailand at the 25th Southeast Asian Games (SEAGAMES) in Vientiane on December 2, 2009. The match ended 1-1. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

[Houston, November 29. Image via Getty]

HOUSTON - NOVEMBER 29: An Indianapolis Colts fan wearing holiday-themed headgear watches warm-ups for the game with the Houston Texans on November 29, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Economists Gordon Dahl and David Card looked at twelve years of football upsets — losses by teams predicted to win by three or more points. They found that during the regular season, such losses were correlated with an 8% increase in male-initiated partner violence in the hours immediately after the game. Female-on-male violence and child abuse were both unaffected by football losses, but violence against friends and neighbors increased by about the same percentage partner violence did. So essentially, men who just watched their team lose are more likely to beat up lovers and friends.

Catherine Rampell points out on the New York Times Economix blog that other surprising factors contribute to domestic violence, including holidays — partner violence rises 22% on Thanksgiving. And Slate's Ray Fisman cautions that football may not actually cause abuse:

[W]hile a tough loss for the home team may touch off abuse, that doesn't mean football is the root cause of postgame violence. More likely, the loss merely serves to set off an attack that was already waiting to happen. In a world without football, acts of abuse might merely get postponed, only to be brought on later by some other source of anger. In the long term, rather than blaming football, we may be best off focusing on addressing the more fundamental problems underlying abusive relationships.

Mentally healthy people in stable relationships probably don't suddenly assault their spouses because the Steelers lost. But it's worth examining the possible external triggers for abuse — triggers that have nothing to do with a woman being "difficult" or "asking for it." It's also worth noting that for everything that's great about sports fandom — a shared narrative, a sense of camaraderie, just plain fun — athletic culture can sometimes have an element of violence. Anyone who went to a Big Ten school has probably seen a drunken postgame brawl between pissed-off fans, and while this doesn't mean we should condemn football, we might do well to be a little more aware of its after-effects. Part of this awareness might involve encouraging some moderation in tailgating — coverage of Card and Dahl's research doesn't mention it, but I have to wonder if the increased abuse doesn't have something to do with fans getting drunk at 11 a.m. And of course, men and women alike need to speak out against domestic violence — as a group of Australian men are doing tomorrow in honor of the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. But perhaps in addition to all this, some sports fans need an extra reminder that, as Fisman says, "it's only a game."

Football Upsets Increase Domestic Violence, Study Finds [NYT Economix Blog]
Illegal Contact [Slate]
Males Asked To Speak Out Against Violence [News.com.au]

[Khartoum, Sudan; November 18. Image via Getty]

An Algerian football fan cheers for her team ahead of the 2010 World Cup qualification play-off between Egypt and Algeria in Khartoum on November 18, 2009. Sudan's security forces threw a tight security cordon around Khartoum to prevent violence between fans of Algeria and Egypt, who will clash for a place at the football World Cup finals. AFP PHOTO/KHALED DESOUKI (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images)

[Muscat, Oman; November 17. Image via Getty]

Fans hold the Omani flag as they attend the friendly football match between Oman and Brazil in Muscat on November 17, 2009. AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED MAHJOUB (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP/Getty Images)

[Atlanta, November 8. Image via Getty]

ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 08: An Atlanta Falcons cheerleader performs during the game against the Washington Redskins at Georgia Dome on November 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

[Carson, CA; November 1. Image via Splash.]

[Kansas City, October 25. Image via Getty]

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 25: A fan dressed as a nun prays for the Chiefs prior to the start of the game between the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25, 2009 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

[Johannesburg, October 19. Image via Getty]

A young South African girl takes part in 'football for Hope' in Alexandra township in Johannesburg on October 19, 2009. While the FIFA World Cup 2010 will bring together the greatest football teams on the planet, a different 32 teams from across the globe will converge on Alexandra for a very different festival of football: to represent the power of the game for social change. The teams taking part in football for Hope will represent organisations from around the world that use football to tackle such issues as ethnic violence in Israel and Palestine, environmental pollution in the slums of Kenya, HIV/Aids education in South Africa, landmine education in Cambodia, and gang culture in Ecuador. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOE (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

[Cincinnati, October 18. Image via Getty]

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 18: A Bengals fan stands in disbelief after the Texans score a touchdown during the game between the Cincinnati Bengals against the Houston Texans at Paul Brown Stadium on October 18, 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Texans defeated the Bengals 28-17. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

[East Rutherford, October 11. Image via Getty]

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 11: A fan of the New York Giants looks on against the Oakland Raiders on October 11, 2009 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Raiders 44-7. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

[Philadelphia, September 20. Image via Getty]

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles cheer during a game against the New Orleans Saints during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on September 20, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

[Pittsburgh, September 10. Image via Getty]

PITTSBURGH - SEPTEMBER 10: A Pittsburgh Steelers fan holds up a sign for Troy Polamalu #43 before the start of the NFL season opener against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field on September 10, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

[Tampere, Finland; September 3. Image via Getty]

Netherlands' Anouk Hoogendijk celebrates her penalty kick goal during the UEFA women's Euro 2009 quarter-final football match between Netherlands and France in Tampere, Finland, on September 3, 2009. AFP PHOTO LEHTIKUVA / Antti Aimo-Koivisto *** FINLAND OUT *** (Photo credit should read ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/AFP/Getty Images)

[Pasadena, July 21. Image via Getty]

PASADENA, CA - JULY 21: A Chelsea fan watches warm ups before the World Football Challenge at the Rose Bowl on July 21, 2009 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)