Those interviewed told researchers about the scale of abuse they suffered and its impacts.
Participants were chosen because they had experience of abuse. Former Yorkshire cricketer Rafiq encountered abuse and threats after documenting the racism he suffered in the game.
“The abuse left me feeling incredibly paranoid, at times, and often made me question my sanity,” Rafiq says in the report.
“The impact of this experience on me as a human being and on my mental health has damaged my life to such an extent, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to quantify it.”
Aluko, who last month won the first stage of a libel case after being targeted on social media by ex-footballer Joey Barton, is not quoted in the report but did contribute to it.
Ex-international rugby referee Barnes detailed the abuse aimed at his wife, which he says “shocked” him. Much of it originated after contentious decisions taken in games, he said.
“I wasn’t active on social media. She then became the subject of the abuse, with people attacking her personally via direct messages to her social media accounts and work email address, or by posting fake and offensive friend requests. The abuse went on for some time,” Barnes said.
He said “misogynistic language” and even “threats of sexual violence” were aimed at her.
The report documents how “a female TV sports presenter will get horrendous amounts of abuse, often just about what she’s wearing”.
Another contributor said: “I didn’t leave my house for a week because of the impact of online abuse, the sort of wave [of intensity] and the amount of people that are abusing you.”
Researchers were told that the fear of receiving more abuse led to some of the contributors turning down work.
Sanjay Bhandari, chair of the anti-discrimination body Kick It Out, said: “The impact of online abuse is undeniable, and the rise in discriminatory social media reports to Kick It Out last season shows it’s getting worse.”
He said the Ofcom report showed “a culture of abuse that has become normalised”.
“It’s vital that we see social media companies step up with meaningful tools that give users real control over what they see and experience online,” he added.
