Today, the NCAA announced it is assisting the FBI in the bureau’s efforts to protect young people from the rise of cyber-enabled crimes, which can result in “sextortion” and other targeted attacks. Sadly, college athletes are increasingly targets of these crimes, and the NCAA will use its strong relationships with its member schools to facilitate and support the FBI’s outreach to potential sextortion targets. Traditionally, survivors of sexual exploitation can be reluctant to come forward to law enforcement.
“We hope to break down barriers, so law enforcement can help prevent further abuse and connect college athletes who may be targeted with the right support,” NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan said. “If we can play even a small role in preventing these crimes or getting justice or appropriate support for the people impacted by them, we will do everything we can to help.”
“This initiative is about making sure student-athletes, and anyone who may become a target, know they are not alone and that help is available,” said Jose Perez, Operational Director. “Working with the NCAA allows us to reach these students directly with the resources and reporting tools they need, before an incident occurs and after.
The NCAA has stepped up educational resources, research and monitoring for student-athletes as the Association has seen a rise in online abuse and threats. The NCAA recently launched an online tutorial for college athletes called “Above the Noise: Protecting Your Mental Health, Safety and Identity Online.” The educational resource helps student-athletes understand what is classified as harassment, identify prevalence and patterns, and access tools for prevention and management. Additionally, the NCAA provides resources through its Sexual Violence Prevention Tool Kit to aid athletics departments with collaborative strategies to support safer campus environments for all.
The NCAA also monitors for abuse and harassment directed at student-athletes, coaches and officials. In place since 2024, the program flags inappropriate posts for social media platforms and, in some cases, law enforcement. The program also offers direct message monitoring services if student-athletes opt in to the service. Over 15,000 abusive messages have been reported to appropriate entities since the program’s inception.
The following resources are available for student-athletes and schools:
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
- National Center for Victims of Internet and Cyber Exploitation
- NCMEC’s NetSmartz Initiative
- Federal Trade Commission’s “Take It Down” Portal
- FBI ― On the Internet: Be Cautious When Connected ― Financially Motivated Sextortion
- NCAA Mental Health Best Practices (intended to help member schools support student-athletes experiencing mental health conditions, signs and symptoms, including those related to experiencing sexual violence)
- NCAA Sexual Violence Prevention Tool Kit (intended to help member schools prevent instances of sexual violence)
- NCAA Above the Noise e-module (for student-athletes)
- NCAA mental health fact sheets
