Netball Australia and the Australian Netball Players Association (ANPA) have joined with 20 sporting codes to reduce targeted online abuse of athletes, after a landmark meeting with the eSafety Commissioner.
eSafety and the various national sporting organisations came together to discuss online abuse in sport at a roundtable this week. All involved, including Netball Australia, have officially signed the Online Safety Statement of Commitment in response to athletes, officials and staff across sporting codes being increasingly subjected to online abuse.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said although sport in Australia is usually a powerful community builder, online interactions with athletes are not always positive.
“Serious and harmful online abuse compounds the daily racism, misogyny and homophobia many athletes already face and can have devastating impacts on their wellbeing,” she said.
“I commend Netball Australia in coming together to work with eSafety to manage and minimise the risk of online abuse in sport.
“We all need to work together, in athletic pursuits and online, to tackle these issues.”
Earlier this year, Netball Australia and ANPA approached eSafety to assist in this space, as the frequency of online abuse continues to increase – both in society and in sport.
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said work across this area will continue into 2022 to provide athletes, umpires, and staff with the tools to support their online safety.
“Online abuse of athletes, umpires and staff has no place in our game and we are committed to working with eSafety to address this important issue,” Ryan said.
“We will work with the ANPA, Suncorp Super Netball Clubs and Member Organisations to support the work of eSafety, further driving positive changes for all online.”
