Project Summary
The FIA and UAOA’s Erasmus+ work programme will enable societal change in how citizens engage with social media and address the effects of online abuse in sports. In 2022, demonstrating proactivity on this issue, the FIA, the governing body of motorsport, established “United Against Online Abuse” (UAOA), a coalition of national governments, regulatory institutions, international sporting federations (IFs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), campaigning to combat online harm in sport. Taking the work of this coalition further, the primary supporting aims of this project are to:
- Embed an understanding of online abuse in sports through research and education.
- Develop a communication strategy to inform and protect diverse groups of participants engaged in the sports ecosystem (namely athletes, volunteers, officials, executives, and fans).
- Expand knowledge, experience, and capacity within IFs to challenge the scourge of online abuse.
- Develop AI-assisted, targeted social media strategies to support the endeavours of IFs.
The project will necessitate effective governance and administration, education and knowledge development, capacity building, and research and advocacy practices. Amongst multiple beneficiaries of this work will be those supporting young people and other vulnerable groups targeted by online abuse alongside other participants identified due to their perceived gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or cultural heritage. This project will provide outputs to support the online safety of athletes and other stakeholders across Europe including:
- A micro-credential dedicated to online sports safety to educate, safeguard, and prevent online abuse.
- A bespoke critical incident framework to assist IFs, national members, and affiliates in safeguarding their participants against online abuse.
- The dissemination of empirical research to support evidence-based interventions.
The first pan-EU awareness campaign to combat online abuse at all levels of sport.
Partners
Project Partners
Project Partner. Click here to learn about Clark Hill LLP
Project Partner. Click here to learn about Zveza za avto sport Slovenije – AS 2005 (Slovenia).
Project Partner. Click here to learn about Real Federación Española De Automovilismo (Spain).
Project Partner. Click here to learn about Autoklub Ceske republiky (Czech Republic).
Project Partner. Click here to learn about Svenska Bilsportförbundet (Sweden).
Academic Project Partners
Spain Academic Partner. Click here to learn about European Sport Business School (ESBS).
Czech Republic Academic Partner. Click here to learn about Charles University.
Sweden Academic Partner. Click here to learn about Charles University.
Slovenia Academic Partner. Click here to learn about Prof. Matej Tušak.
Photos
News and Updates
Project Deliverables
Coordinator Contact
If you wish to contact UAOA regarding our Erasmus project, please email uaoa@fia.com.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.