Social Media Abuse

It is an unfortunate aspect of social media that those in the public eye can be subject to abuse, and jockeys are no exception. Receiving abusive messages can be a distressing experience for those involved and we want to protect all our members from this.

There are steps you can take to help protect yourself from online abuse:

• Twitter has a “Settings and Privacy” option to “Allow message requests from everyone”. Make sure this is turned off and you will no longer be able to receive unsolicited messages.

• There is also an option to mute words from your timeline. Under “Content Preferences”, select “Muted” and you will see an option to mute words of your choice. This won’t stop the words being posted but it will stop any posts using these words from appearing in your timeline, and is a very helpful preventative step to take. You can add as many words as you wish and could include foul language or specific words such as “cheat”.

• Facebook gives you the option to “Block Users” and/or “Block Messages”. You can find this under “Settings and Privacy”, “Settings” and then “Blocking”.

• Instagram allows you to choose who you allow or block comments from. This can be found under “Settings”, “Privacy” and “Comments”. There are also filters to hide offensive comments and a manual filter which enables you to choose specific words to be hidden. You can also make your Instagram account private so that you have to accept followers who can view your content.

Consider the value of Social Media to you – it isn’t for everyone and there will always be positives and negatives to it. If you would rather not engage with it then delete the app from your phone and/or deactivate your account. Details on how to do this can be found here.

Social media platforms are coming under increasing pressure to ensure that they protect their users from harmful content, which includes abusive messages. Most will provide their users with tools to protect themselves and report inappropriate content anonymously.

REPORTING ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR

The PJA has partnered with the National Trainers Federation (NTF) to combat abusive content sent to jockeys and trainers. The aim of this service is to advise and support members who receive such content and to create a central database of evidence.

Abusive communications have become an ever-increasing concern in today’s digital age and the PJA recognises the importance of taking a proactive stance against such behaviours. Leading this project is former police Superintendent, Sean Memory, who brings a wealth of expertise in the management of investigations. It is recognised that identifying the individual behind anonymous messages is very challenging in the digital age. Sean’s skills in doing so will be of great value in getting to a stage where the BHA and/or police are able to act.

The reporting process is incredibly easy to follow and, having reported the
information to us, you will then be advised and supported through the next steps:

• On social media or text message: screenshot and save the message
• Phone call: write down as much detail as possible
• Email: save the email and block the sender
  
  Then send to:
  racingabuse@racehorsetrainers.org
  or call Sean on 07780 337658.

If you, or anyone you know has been affected by such messages, please make use of the below mental health support that is available:

• PJA Team – Tel: 01635 778108 or individual mobile numbers, or Email: info@thepja.co.uk
• Sporting Chance: 24 hour support line 07780 008877