‘Get back to the kitchen, cos u talk s*** on tv’: gendered online abuse and trigger events in sport

Research question Online abuse is prevalent in sport and can be the by-product of trigger events – reactive social media posts that motivate online hate. Little known about what triggers abuse, types content, how this impacts certain groups. The current research examined behaviour emerges, evolves during a event, through gendered lens.Research methods This employed two phase, mixed approach digital netnography with participation observation network analysis thematic content 1332 (N = 1332) tweets United Kingdom. event abusive toward Karen Carney following post-match football commentary on 29 December 2020.Results findings Results identified 590 individuals who formed distinct Directed visualisation indicated was focus event. Thematic time series revealed emotional maltreatment (i.e. ridiculing, humiliating, belittling) progressing to overt discriminatory maltreatment.Implications Findings support need for safeguarding policies target groups, as escalate quickly, group affiliations impact content. From theoretical standpoint, in-group out-group resulted rhetoric highlighting persistent, socio-normative issues within sport, amplified an environment.