Concordia’s new training on digital sexual abuse

Online sexual violence takes many forms, making prevention increasingly important

NewsPema Tournadre — Published October 27, 2026 3 minutes

Concordia University introduced a new optional training module on technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) this fall, available to students, staff and faculty.

According to the module, TFSV is an umbrella term that “refers to sexual violence that is facilitated, or carried out, using technology.” It can range from sexually explicit deepfakes made with artificial intelligence (AI) to coerced location sharing. 

The training covers a wide range of topics, from digital consent and the impacts of TFSV to online safety and the legal landscape. It also includes interactive scenarios asking participants how they would respond to situations such as receiving unsolicited sexually explicit photos.

Sarah Galeano, a first-year student in Concordia’s master of public policy and public administration program, was surprised to learn that the new module was optional. She believes that issues such as the use of AI to create sexually explicit videos of people without their consent deserve greater awareness. 

“I would assume it would be mandatory,” Galeano said. 

Statistics Canada found that the most common type of unwanted behaviour experienced online, regardless of gender, is receiving suggestive or explicit images without consent. Approximately one in 10 people in Canada have experienced these technology-facilitated behaviours, with women slightly more affected than men. 

The module already needs an update 

Over the summer, new provisions under Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, came into force. Among them, the non-consensual distribution of sexual deepfakes is now an offence under Canada's Criminal Code.

“We created that section knowing that we'll have to go back in and change some of it,” Mark Underwood, Concordia's facilitator responsible for sexual violence awareness and prevention training, said when referring to the module's section on the legal landscape. “A lot of those conceptual pieces like ‘what is it’ and ‘how does it show up’ are evergreen. They will be the same forever.”

“It’s important to go over those things in class, in person and have those uncomfortable discussions. I feel like it’s a lot more powerful when you’re also hearing a professor talk to you about it, not necessarily just your computer screen.” — arah Galeano, first-year masters student at Concordia

Effective prevention goes beyond online training 

Underwood said Concordia has yet to find a reliable metric to measure the effectiveness of its sexual violence prevention training. He was unable to share participation figures for the new module due to confidentiality concerns.

Beyond measuring effectiveness, Christopher Dietzel, co-creator of the website Digitally Informed Youth and an affiliate assistant professor in communication studies at Concordia, emphasizes the importance of ongoing sexual violence education.

“Prevention is most effective when the education is repeated, rather than being a one-off intervention,” Dietzel said.

Galeano believes prevention should go beyond online training.

“It's important to go over those things in class, in person and have those uncomfortable discussions. I feel like it's a lot more powerful when you're also hearing a professor talk to you about it, not necessarily just your computer screen,” Galeano said. 

At Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) located at the Sir George Williams campus, pamphlets and a QR code linking to the centre’s new feedback page are displayed. 

Joanne Vasquez, SARC’s new interim manager, also underscores that making the training mandatory is not the only way to raise awareness and educate students.

“That's part of what we're going to try and explore more here at SARC, but it also has to come from the Concordia community,” Vasquez said.