4.7 Risk reduction measures in action: the digital world

The digital world refers to ways that individuals and organisations communicate and interact using electronic and online technologies. Digital activities include receiving and/or posting information, photographs and videos, as well as communicating with other people or groups through written messages or live audio or video chat.

Digital (or ‘online’) activity involves the use of mobile phones, computers, tablets, or other internet-enabled devices. It includes using social media platforms, websites, video conferencing solutions, and messaging apps. Some online games also enable players to interact with each other and share messages.

Let’s think about some common examples of digital activities. Select each tile to reveal the type of interaction.

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The front of tile one says. Using a mobile phone or other device. The back of tile one says. For example, to keep in touch with teammates by making voice or video calls, sending text messages, or to capture and share images by using a messaging app. The front of tile two says. Posting or receiving information, images or messages on social media platforms. The back of tile two says. For example, information from coaches. The front of tile three says. Taking part in virtual video or audio meetings (like online learning or training sessions). The back of tile three says. For example, to receive and give feedback after a match or training session. The front of tile four says. Sending or receiving emails. The back of tile four says. For example, receiving information about travel arrangements for a training camp. The front of tile five says. Having text or voice chats. The back of tile five says. For example, through games consoles or online games.

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There are a number of safeguarding risks that exist across these different platforms which you need to be aware of. You are asked to think about some of these next.

List the risks connected with the misuse of digital tools

Make a list of all the risks you can think of. To help you, here are a couple of examples:

Being bullied by peers (cyber-bullying) – including name-calling, insults, and threats linked to, for example, their appearance or achievements.
The misuse of personal information shared online – this includes accessing and re-posting information (text or images) without consent, identity theft, or posting images online that are intended to humiliate or embarrass the subject.
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Here are some we came up with – it is a broad list of risks:

Grooming for sexual abuse – abusers can use online platforms to pretend to be someone else, for example, another child. They can use the online world to build a secret trusting relationship with a child or vulnerable adult to abuse them. The abuse itself may happen completely online or the abuser may arrange to meet the person.
Grooming for financial abuse – often the grooming process for sports corruption, match manipulation, or financial exploitation of athletes can start online.
Trolling – athletes, particularly those who are well known, may be vulnerable to negative social media comments – sometimes known as trolling – which can affect their mental health and wellbeing.
Harassment of children by adults – for example, negative comments about their sporting behaviour or achievements by adults (parents, coaches, or others).
Sexual abuse and exploitation – for example, sexting (being encouraged, tricked, or coerced into creating, sharing, and receiving sexual images) or being shown inappropriate sexual material as a way to normalise it. Or being forced into more inappropriate sexual acts by the threat of previously recorded images being shared online.
Exposure to potentially harmful or misleading content – for example, pornographic, racist, or other hate materials that might encourage users to harm themselves or others, or misleading content (e.g. unrealistic body images leading to self-harm, depression, and eating disorders).
Impact on mental health – the overuse of digital activities can lead to a lack of sleep and meaningful rest and/or mental health issues.

All these experiences are potentially emotionally damaging and can impact an individual negatively. Just like abuse that happens face to face, online abusers could be other children or adults who are known to the victim, or strangers.

People can experience serious abuse online without ever meeting the person abusing them face to face. The impact and trauma experienced by those targeted and abused online is as devastating as for any form of offline bullying.

Next, you are going to think about how the use and misuse of images in sport can create the risk of abuse.

4.6 What are the minimum requirements for safer recruitment?

4.8 The use and misuse of images of children in sport