Social Media Harassment Targets Athletes

Athletes are being harassed on social media platforms.

A lot of athletes are getting more mean messages on the internet. The head of the NCAA, Charlie Baker, says about one in three well-known athletes are getting threats, and many come from people upset about losing bets. Since betting on sports is now allowed in lots of places in the US, there are more of these problems. Amanda Blackford who works with the Ohio Casino Control Commission says that about 90% of this nasty behavior happens on the internet, especially on social media sites.

Common patterns of harassment in university sports programs.

Many college athletes are getting threats. After a game that LSU lost, their player Angel Reese was threatened. Other athletes like Jordan Bohannon and Gabbie Marshall from Iowa, as well as Carson Barrett from Purdue, have faced similar problems. Deion Sanders, the football coach at the University of Colorado, has even had to get security for his trips because of threats.

Online bullies target people who lose money gambling.

People who lose bets often send mean messages. They get angry at the players and blame them for losing money.

• Iowa's Bohannon faced harassment along with his peers.
• Angel Reese received threats after her national title win.
• Gabbie Marshall deleted her social media account due to threats.
• Barrett of Purdue was sent a death threat after his three-pointer win.

Tennis player Shelby Rogers said she got many threats to kill her after she lost at the US Open in 2021.

Responses to Harassment

The current laws aren't working well to stop people from being harassed online. The law from 2003 that should stop scary messages isn't used often enough. Sports players, teams, and the college sports association want tougher penalties for those who send threats, including not allowing these people to go to college sports events.

New Steps to Stop Harassment

The NCAA will use computer programs to help stop problems with gambling and to protect athletes from being harassed. They have promised to take this more seriously starting in 2024. It's still not clear if this will stop people who watch sports at home from attacking athletes online.