By Rachel Bauldree, Communications Manager, CCAW
As football season kicks off, we often think about the players on the field. We watch our favorite athletes go head-to-head, literally, on the turf. As we watch these plays, player safety is always somewhere in the back of our minds. Between bodies colliding and helmets crashing together, there’s always at least one play during a game that makes us gasp: What a hard hit! In those moments, we think about just how intense the game of football can be. We analyze the dangers of broken bones, torn ligaments, and perhaps most importantly, head injuries.
When we witness a hard tackle, it’s often a shoulder pad colliding with a helmet, followed by a player hitting the ground head-first at immense speed. Our first thought goes to the safety of the player’s head. We are taught at a young age about the dangers of playing physical contact sports. We are often warned about concussions.
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that occurs when there is a hit to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. [1] Hits to the body that create sudden movement of the head are common in football. According to NFL Injury Data, the average number of concussions diagnosed during preseason and regular season play has exceeded 200 annually between 2015 and 2025. [2] This means hundreds of players are diagnosed with injuries to the brain every year.
Repeated concussions can lead to what is known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries. A head injury includes any impact that causes the brain to shake within the skull. This includes mild hits that do not cause symptoms, concussions, and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). [3] Symptoms of CTE often develop slowly, taking eight to ten years to appear after the initial trauma. [4] As of now, CTE cannot be definitively diagnosed while a person is alive. It can only be confirmed through an autopsy. [5]
This is a terrifying thought. The consistent physical contact football players experience undoubtedly makes them candidates for TBIs and potentially CTE later in life. If we are so concerned about the safety of football players because of the physical contact they endure, why are we not extending that same concern to domestic violence victims?
Domestic violence (DV) victims often experience many of the same types of injuries, except instead of being caused by an opposing player during a game, they are inflicted by an intimate partner. Roughly 40% of domestic violence victimizations result in a physical injury during the incident. [6] While football-related brain injuries receive significant public attention, many survivors of domestic violence experience repeated physical trauma with far less visibility. Why do we so readily recognize the risks faced by athletes while overlooking the similar dangers faced by victims of abuse?
Football players enter the field equipped with helmets, pads, mouthguards, and access to medical professionals trained to identify and treat head injuries. Domestic violence victims have none of those protections. When violence occurs, there is no protective gear to absorb the impact, no referee to stop the action, and often no immediate medical evaluation afterward. While society has built systems to identify and respond to brain injuries in sports, many survivors of domestic violence continue to suffer those same injuries in silence.
Domestic violence is a leading cause of TBI, with studies showing that up to 90% of survivors of physical violence experience a brain injury or concussion, as abusers often target the head, face, and neck. [7] These are staggering numbers. Yet conversations about traumatic brain injuries rarely include domestic violence survivors, despite the immense danger they face and the long-term effects these injuries can have on their lives.
As football season begins, there will be countless discussions about player safety, concussion protocols, and the lasting effects of repeated head trauma. Those conversations are important and necessary. But they should not end at the stadium gates.
Every day, domestic violence survivors face many of the same risks associated with repeated blows to the head, often without medical attention, public concern, or recognition of the lasting impact those injuries can cause. If we understand the seriousness of traumatic brain injuries when they happen under Friday night lights or on Sunday afternoons, we should be equally willing to recognize them when they happen behind closed doors.
Traumatic brain injuries are not just a football issue. They are a public health issue, a survivor issue, and a domestic violence issue. The more we expand the conversation surrounding TBIs, the more people we can identify, support, and connect with the care they need before the damage becomes lifelong.
Citations
[1] https://biausa.org/public-affairs/media/concussion-information-series-chapter-i-what-is-a-concussion
[2] https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/health-and-wellness/injury-data/injury-data
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17686-chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-cte
[5] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17686-chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-cte
[6] https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvs10.pdf
[7] https://www.odvn.org/brain-injury/
Resources
ICCR Webinar: Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury
Often referred to as the “invisible injury”, this webinar will focus on partner-inflicted brain injuries: how to identify them including signs and symptoms, how to talk to survivors about your concerns, and resources available for practitioners in the field.
Podcast Ep: What You Need to Know About Domestic Violence and Brain Trauma
Discover the connections between domestic violence and traumatic brain injury in this eye-opening episode. Our guest, Dr. María Garay-Serratos , a leading expert in domestic violence and traumatic brain injury, shares her powerful personal story and professional insights.
Dr. Garay-Serratos reveals the often overlooked traumatic brain injuries resulting from violence in the home, advocating for better recognition, screening, and treatment of these issues within healthcare systems. Our discussion will unravel the shocking truths behind the silent epidemic of domestic violence, the overwhelming statistics regarding reported crimes, and the long-term health implications for survivors.
Listeners will gain a comprehensive understanding of the urgency surrounding this topic and hear firsthand stories that highlight the necessity of systemic change. Join us in imparting hope, healing, and awareness as we explore the resources available for those affected by domestic violence and advocate for a future where everyone’s health and safety are prioritized.
