Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. abusive
    • ex. The player received abusive messages online after the game.
  2. distressing
    • ex. It can be distressing to see an animal in pain.
  3. harassment
    • ex. She reported the harassment to her teacher so it would stop.
  4. take advantage of (something)
    • ex. She took advantage of the sale to buy new shoes.
  5. detect
    • ex. Scientists detect changes in the weather with special tools.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Basketball Australia and its men’s and women’s leagues have started a new online safety program to help players stay safe from abusive messages on social media. The program began after coach Scott Roth shared distressing stories about the strong harassment players and their families faced this season. Roth said the comments became very serious when someone wished harm on a player’s pregnant wife.

Because of this, Basketball Australia decided to take advantage of a partnership with a company called Social Protect. Its system can detect and remove online harassment on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. It checks more than two million negative words in over 100 languages. The goal is to quickly delete abusive comments so athletes, especially female players, can feel safer when they post online.

Many players say this support is necessary. Dejan “DJ” Vasiljevic, who has won two NBL championships, said he often receives abusive messages and wants them to stop. Roth said the harassment has gone “beyond crossing the line,” and some families are now afraid to go outside. He said players and their families “deserve better.”

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Good Manners Online

  • What do you think about the new online safety program by Basketball Australia? Discuss.
  • Scott Roth shared distressing stories about the strong harassment players and their families faced on social media. How do you think sports fans and followers should interact with players and their families? Discuss.
  • Why do you think good online behavior is important? Discuss.

Online Harassment

  • Do you feel like social media has become too dangerous for people to interact online? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What would you do if someone started harassing you on social media? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what should be the punishment for individuals who harass other people online? Discuss.