The reason it keeps happening - well actually, it's massively increased in intensity in recent weeks - is because it's being highlighted constantly by the media. They 100% know what they're doing, as social contagion is accepted in every other form of reporting. It's why we have reporting restrictions on things like suicide and terrorism.
We have
scientific data that shows that, when starved of attention and social reward trolls will stop.
The way we're currently dealing with these issues - the constant reporting on them - will only lead to more incidences...and I firmly believe that journalists understand that . I work in Sports PR and even we have extensive training on social contagion, and how important it is to be be aware of it, never mind actual journalists.
Another note: last week there was an outcry over De Gea getting similar abuse based on race, but media outlets not reporting it while at the same time writing a huge number of stories about Axel. This week it's happened again. Plenty of race based abuse towards Lindelof...while they report solely on Martial. It just seems intentionally divisive. On both counts - first of all reporting it, secondly
selectively reporting it.
Spoiler: Troll posts based on race with sexual assault references
Goes back again to media culpability for a lot of societies current ills.