Online Abuse

Types of online abuse

Online abuse is behaviour that uses digital technology to threaten, intimidate, menace, bully, harass, humiliate or offend someone.

Much of the poor behaviour you can see in-person at sport can also happen online. This could include teasing, name calling, putdowns, disrespect, unkindness, body shaming, bullying, discrimination, hate, harassment, threats, and grooming.

There are also forms of abuse unique to being online such as memes, catfishing, trolling, doxing, pile-ons, and cyberstalking and image-based abuse.

Online abuse can take many forms in sport. For example:

An unkind video of an athlete training is shared to social media
An umpire receives a racially abusive direct message from unknown person
A member of public body shames an image of a coach
A young player is picked on and humiliated in a squad group chat
A sport organisation receives a threat from an unknown person over a decision.

Learn more about types of online abuse in sport at the eSafety Sports hub.

How to deal with online abuse at your club

Always:

Act quickly as online abuse can spread quickly and be viewed widely
Refer to your sport policies and codes of conduct
Support members as online abuse can be distressing.

Member, or the club, is targeted by online abuse

When a member of your club is targeted by online abuse, those responsible can be a member, non-member or someone unknown.

Depending on what the targeted member or club would like to do next, steps might include:

Collect evidence - take screen shots and record what happened
Have the content removed. Depending on situation, you may:
1. Delete it yourself, if on a personal account
2. Ask the person responsible to remove the content – if they are known and you are comfortable doing so
3. Report to the platform or online service
4. Report to eSafety for serious online abuse
Review security and privacy settings – to mute or block an account for example.

Example - how to deal with online abuse

A video of a young athlete from your club is shared on a social media account. The athlete is playing in a match, and the video is unkind and embarrassing for the athlete.

What can your club do?

Act quickly to limit its spread
Collect evidence: take screenshots, note URLs and account details.
Support the athlete: speak with them and their parent/carer about next steps. Options include:
- Ask the account responsible to remove the content
- Report the post to the social media account
- If it remains online and is serious abuse, report to eSafety.
Encourage the athlete to review their personal account privacy settings in case they are targeted on personal accounts
Take internal action under your sport policies if the person who shared the video is a club member.
Provide ongoing support to the athlete.

For detailed guidance on collecting evidence, reporting, and online safety, visit the eSafety Sports Hub.

Remember: Ongoing communication about online abuse is important. Promote respectful behaviour, and ensure everyone knows how to seek help.

eSafety Sports Hub

Member is responsible for poor conduct online

Members of your club can sometimes behave poorly online. This can occur in many different ways:

Towards another member or the club e.g. threatening text message, or bullying in a team chat group
In a public forum as part of sport e.g. abusive comment on another clubs’ social media page
On personal accounts as part of sport e.g. shares an inappropriate photo in club uniform to their personal social media.

You should refer to your sport policies and codes of conduct for appropriate actions. Each sport is different but this might include child safeguarding, member protection, or social media policies.

Being prepared and proactive

Online abuse can seriously impact the wellbeing of individuals and the culture within your sport. It can discourage people from joining or staying involved. But your club can take simple, proactive steps to create a safer online environment for everyone.

Consider:

Understand where you are online

Understand your online settings and how members are online as part of your sport. It can be much broader than you think. Think about:

Which members are online as part of your club?
Which platforms and technologies are directly managed by our club?
Which platforms and technologies are used for our sport (by any member)?

Know your policies

Most Australian sport organisations have policies related to online safety. Each will be different, so check what’s already in place within your sport. Online safety is usually covered across several policies including codes of conduct, integrity, member protection, child safeguarding, social media, privacy and complaints handling.

Set up for safety

Sport organisations typically manage a range of digital platforms and technologies. While you can’t control the broader conversations online, you can manage your own platforms and services for optimal safety.

Communicate and educate often

Talk to members about online values, your policies, how to reach out for support and how to report online abuse. You can do this through newsletters and social media, or at events like training camps or meetings. You can also hold training for specific groups such as coaches or athletes. You could do this as part of existing meetings, inductions, or camps.

Ask for help

Online issues can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re not tech-savvy. But you don’t have to do it alone. Look within your club to those confident with social media or technology to help manage your pages and respond to online issues.

Links

Your national or state sport organisation may have training or resources. We've included some useful links below to eSafety and Sport Integrity Australia resources.

Links

eSafety Sports hub

eSafety Sports hub – Dealing with online abuse

eSafety Sports hub – Advice for sports administrators

eSafety Sports hub - free downloads

Additional Resources

Sport Integrity Australia Cyber Safety and Security eLearning course

Sport Integrity Australia Online Communication with Children and Young People