Ofcom collaborated with Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination body in sport, to engage directly with people who have lived experience of online hate and abuse. They conducted seven individual interviews and nine group discussions. Participants included sportspeople, on-screen commentators, and professionals working in sport and broadcasting.
"There is a problem in sport with underfuelling and underloading. That comes with the constant demands to look a certain way and, unfortunately, a vitriolic environment that comes from social media.
"I always urge everybody to be mindful of that because we're destroying people in many ways."
Online harassment in sport is a form of abuse that targets an individual (or a group of players). This content can often be used to mock an athlete’s skills or abilities but can also target their personal and private lives, including their families and friends.
Types of harassment can include discrimination, bullying, sexism, racism, hurtful language, sexual harassment, trolling, rumour spreading and threats.
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