The master’s thesis addresses online abuse in Slovenian sport. The aim of the research was to determine the prevalence of online abuse in Slovenian sport, how it affects athletes, and to explore how they cope with abuse, negative comments, and online posts.
The research consisted of two parts. The first part was based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analysis of comments on the Instagram profiles of twenty Slovenian athletes, while the second part relied on a qualitative methodology, which included the analysis of ten semi-structured interviews with Slovenian athletes. The data was analyzed using content analysis, based on which thematic categories were developed, linked to the set goals and hypotheses.
The results showed that Slovenian athletes are frequently exposed to online abuse and hate comments on social media. These affect not only their general well-being, but also their confidence, self-image, and athletic performance. The study confirmed typical patterns of abuse such as belittling, mocking, sarcasm, threats, and insults. Athletes also use a variety of coping strategies, ranging from ignoring, deleting, and blocking users to consulting psychologists and therapists, which helps them deal with negative comments.
The findings of this thesis shed light on the prevalence and key issues of online abuse in Slovenian sport and highlight the importance of researching this phenomenon and seeking solutions. The recommendations include raising athletes’ awareness of online abuse through sports organizations, developing support programs, educating sports professionals, and encouraging athletes to adopt different coping strategies to reduce the negative impact of online abuse.
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