Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is becoming increasingly common among Canada’s young people, evidencing the need to better understand the nature, frequency, impact, and response to this issue. In response, this project conducted a synthesis of scholarly research to map what is known and what remains unknown about this important topic.

This project was completed in three parts. First, we conducted a national and international scoping review of English-language empirical research on TFGBV involving young people, specifically teens aged 13 to 18, to gain an understanding of the breadth of qualitative and quantitative data available for evidence-based curricula and policy making. Second, we conducted a scoping review of French-language studies and searched for Canadian resources produced by academics, governments, and civil society organizations to understand how TFGBV is framed relative to young people in the Francophone context. Third, we reviewed current educational curricula and resources on TFBGV in Canadian provinces and territories, including existing relevant education acts and statues related to TFGBV, to better understand how this issue is being addressed in schools.

This report is intended to be used by scholars, policy makers, educators, and those in frontline jobs supporting young people impacted by TFGBV. We intended for it to inform responses provided at high levels of law and policy creation as well as on the frontlines of Canadian schools, shelters, and community organizations that support young people impacted by TFGBV. In the short term, this will help with the immediate goals of influencing Canadian federal and provincial/territorial policy, such as the development and implementation of related laws, including upcoming federal content moderation legislation and provincial/territorial non-consensual distribution of intimate images statutes. In the longer term, it will help the development of evidence-informed supports for young people and inspire much-needed quantitative and qualitative Canadian research projects in this area.