Codeveloped Recommendations with Racialized Youth for Addressing Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence and Its Mental Health Impacts

Abstract

Background: The widespread use of digital technologies is beneficial to society but has also contributed to the growing prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) among youth. This study aimed to co-design youth-informed recommendations for preventing and responding to TFSV and its mental health consequences among racialized youth in Canada. Methods: Guided by the participatory research approach, 33 participants from Alberta and British Columbia, who were 15–24 years old and self-identified as racialized, participated in two virtual interactive workshops. Participants engaged in facilitated breakout group discussions using case studies and semi-structured prompts. Data were collected via Padlet and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Participants identified several gaps in existing support systems and recommended culturally responsive, multi-sectoral strategies to address and prevent TFSV. The key recommendations included awareness of families and educators about TFSV, training of healthcare and community service providers for trauma-informed care, integrated mental health support, and increasing youth awareness about legal support. Conclusions: Participants collectively designed recommendations to address TFSV and its related mental health outcomes. This study highlights perspectives of racialized youth for collaborative efforts across family, education, health, community, and legal systems to foster safer digital environments and equitable mental health support for youth affected by TFSV.

1. Introduction

The era of digital technology has brought numerous benefits to society, allowing millions of users worldwide to engage in instant and dynamic communication regardless of physical distance (Ståhl & Dennhag, 2021). However, research on interpersonal violence indicates that digital media-facilitated sexual violence is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in everyday life (Powell & Henry, 2019). Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (TFSV) is a term that encompasses a spectrum of potentially harmful sexual behaviors carried out via the internet or digital mediums. These behaviors include digital sexual harassment, image-based sexual abuse, sexual aggression and/or coercion, and gender and/or sexuality-based harassment (Powell & Henry, 2019). Although people of all ages use online platforms (Government of Canada, 2024), young people are especially active internet and technology users and are disproportionately affected by online abuse, both globally and in Canada (Rowse et al., 2022). A recent meta-analysis conducted in United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada and Italy, found that between 8% and 18% of adolescents and adults have been exposed to some form of TFSV (Patel & Roesch, 2022). A 2020 Plan International survey of more than 14,000 girls and young women aged 15–25 across 22 countries, including Canada, found that 58% had experienced some form of online harassment, including sexual harassment (Wavrock et al., 2021). Reflecting this trend within Canada, TFSV is particularly prevalent among young women, with over 80% of university-aged participants reporting sexually inappropriate messages from male strangers, often beginning in early adolescence (Salerno-Ferraro et al., 2022). Although much of the existing research on TFSV has focused on intimate partner violence and/or gender-based violence, TFSV extends beyond intimate relationships to include harms perpetrated by peers, acquaintances, strangers, and others within online and offline social networks (Henry & Powell, 2018; Kim & Ferraresso, 2023).

Building on these patterns, evidence suggests that TFSV disproportionately affects racialized youth in Canada. Racialized people are defined as individuals who are non-Caucasian in race or non-White in colour and who do not identify as Aboriginal (Canada Council for the Arts, n.d.). The term racialized also recognizes that race is a socially constructed category and is widely used in Canadian research to describe populations that may experience differential treatment or inequities related to race.

Although more than half of young Canadians believe that the internet is a safe environment for them, racialized youth (52%) are notably less likely to share this perception than their white counterparts (60%). Despite this, online spaces can provide valuable opportunities for racialized youth to connect to communities of individuals with shared identities and experiences (Correa & Jeong, 2011). This underscores the importance of ensuring these spaces remain safe and free of sexual and racial discrimination, particularly because young people who identify as minority ethnic groups, often experience TFSV in conjunction with racial discrimination (Weinstein et al., 2021).

TFSV has serious consequences for adolescents’ mental well-being, with many survivors reporting anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, and self-harm (Champion et al., 2021; Frankel et al., 2018; Safari & Margaretha, 2022). Racialized youth are especially vulnerable, often experiencing victimization without adequate support, which can exacerbate these mental health challenges. Their experiences are particularly concerning because, in addition to being at heightened risk of TFSV, they also encounter significant barriers to accessing appropriate support services. These barriers may include stigma, limited awareness of available resources, and culturally insensitive support services (Patel & Roesch, 2022; Champion et al., 2021; Witkin, 2023). This racially influenced victimization often leads to more severe and lasting psychosocial and mental health impacts, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive strategies to address, reduce, and prevent TFSV (Weinstein et al., 2021; Hou et al., 2023).

Although several Canadian scholars and organizations have advanced efforts to address technology facilitated violence (TFV), important gaps remain in interventions, especially designed for and with racialized youth. Existing initiatives have primarily focused on legal reform, education, advocacy, and service provision. For example, Dodge’s work on Nova Scotia’s CyberScan Unit highlights the value of integrated supports that extend beyond punitive approaches to include education, victim support, and restorative practices (Dodge, 2023). Similarly, resources developed by the Gender-based Violence Learning Network emphasize trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches to supporting youth experiencing TFSV while recognizing the intersecting the influences of racism and other forms of marginalizations (Pietsch, 2023). Broader Canadian scholarship has also underscored the significance of culturally responsive and intersectional approaches to addressing gender-based violence among racialized groups (Rajani, 2022).

Despite these important contributions, there remains a significant gap in interventions that effectively address the unique experiences of racialized youth and collaborate with them in co-designing and evaluating culturally relevant, youth-engaged strategies aimed at preventing and responding to TFSV. Centering youth voices ensures that prevention and support strategies are culturally relevant, accessible, and responsive to the complex realities these youth face dealing with TFSV and its consequences.

To address this gap, we aimed to co-design recommendations with racialized youth to inform effective and inclusive support and care for youth affected by TFSV. Importantly, this study conceptualizes TFSV as occurring across multiple contexts and relationships, rather than being limited to intimate partner violence among racialized youth.

While individual interviews were conducted as part of the larger study to examine youth perceptions of TFSV, its associated mental health impact, and participants’ sources of support and barriers to service access (Punjani et al., 2026), this paper presents group-level recommendations co-designed by racialized youth through virtual interactive workshops. These recommendations address service relevance, accessibility, and responsiveness and include guidance for parents and families to support youth effectively.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Design and Participants

This study was guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to ensure meaningful youth engagement through virtual workshops, with an emphasis on centering participants’ lived and living experiences and amplifying their voices in the co-development of recommendations. CBPR is a collaborative research approach that integrates knowledge generation with actionable strategies to enhance community health and address health inequities (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2011). To support this approach, our team included experienced researchers, youth-focused community-based organizations, and two youth representatives who actively participated throughout each stage of the study.

This study was conducted in Alberta (AB) and British Columbia (BC), Canada. Eligible participants were self-identified racially diverse youth, aged between 15 and 24 years, and able to communicate in English. Participants were recruited through our partnership with community organizations in AB and BC through study posters disseminated via social media channels and their affiliated networks. Interested participants were asked to contact our research coordinator to confirm eligibility and complete the informed consent process. The study objectives were explained to all participants by the research coordinator. The collaborative workshops were co-designed with input of youth knowledge users on our research team, who contributed to the planning, implementation, and interpretation of the study to ensure it remained youth-centered and aligned with community priorities.

2.2. Data Collection

Two participatory workshops (three hours each) were held with racialized youth via Zoom on 2 November 2024, and 23 November 2024 respectively. The workshops were planned with meaningful input from the youth representatives on our team, who played an active role in designing youth engagement strategies and developing breakout room activities. 33 participants 15 from AB and 18 from BC attended both the workshops and were randomly divided into small breakout rooms for facilitated discussions. Each breakout room was facilitated by members of the research team, including our youth representatives who guided the discussions using semi-structured prompts related to youth experiences, needs, and recommendations.

In the first workshop, participants were presented with a case study featuring a racialized youth who had experienced TFSV. Participants were then divided into five breakout rooms and asked to brainstorm and propose resources and support that could assist youth in similar situations. In the second workshop, building on insights from the first session, participants worked in small groups to reflect on existing supports, identify gaps within available resources, and co-create recommendations for specific sectors and community groups to better support racialized youth experiencing TFSV and its consequences.

We used Padlet, an online collaborative bulletin board (Padlet, n.d.) to capture real-time responses to structured prompts, reflections, and group generated ideas during the sessions. The Padlet anonymous entries (individual and group text posts and short reflections) were exported and treated as textual artifacts for analysis, along with facilitation notes. This approach aligns with established participatory and Padlet-mediated methods that emphasize collective meaning-making over individual narratives (Naamati-Schneider & Alt, 2023; Rath, 2025, Spencer et al., 2023).

2.3. Data Analysis

The anonymous collective data from the Padlet boards were manually analyzed using conventional inductive content analysis (Elo & Kyngäs, 2008) with the unit of analysis defined as individual and group Padlet post.

For the first workshop data, initial coding was conducted through repeated reading of groups’ notes by the research team to identify key patterns and themes. For the second workshop, while each group was given a predefined category to guide group discussions, the analysis was driven by groups’ perspectives, similarities, emergent ideas, and shared recommendations. All responses were exported to a separate document, organized, and systematically reviewed by the research team, including our youth co-researchers. The grouped responses reflected the collective experiences and insights shared by participants. Youth representatives contributed to the analytic process through member-checking, reviewing preliminary themes and recommendations for interpretive accuracy and cultural resonance, and providing clarifications where synthesized findings did not fully align with their experiences of the workshop discussions. Facilitation notes were integrated to help understand the context of the findings.

Multiple team meetings were held in collaboration of our youth representatives to interpret, review, refine, and finalize the analysis through consensus, ensuring that the analysis reflected youth perspectives and experiences. Because the workshops emphasized collective dialogue and anonymity (participants often posted under pseudonyms or collectively), findings are presented as synthesized themes and group statements rather than as individual verbatim quotes. This approach reflects the collective nature of the data and is consistent with the participatory design of the study (Vaughan, 2018). Because data were generated through collaborative responses on Padlet and analyzed at the group level, findings are presented as synthesized themes and recommendations rather than verbatim participant quotations. Illustrative examples drawn from the Padlet data are presented in Appendix A to establish a transparent connection between the raw data and reported themes.

2.4. Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Boards of the University of Alberta (Ethics ID: Pro00141351) and the University of British Columbia (Ethics ID: H24-01357). All participants provided written, informed consent electronically before their involvement. Participation was entirely voluntary, and participants were made aware of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence. All procedures adhered to institutional and national ethical standards, as well as relevant regulatory guidelines.

3. Results

This section highlights existing support and gaps racialized youth experienced while accessing services for TFSV and recommendations made by participants to address and prevent TFSV among racialized youth. Recommendations presented here are clustered into five main groups (i) parents and families, (ii) educators and education systems (iii) youth and mental health-oriented community organizations (iv) health care providers, and (v) legal and government bodies.

Table 1. Demographic Details of Study Participants.

	AB (n = 15) n (%)	BC (n = 18) n (%)
Age Mean (years)	22.1	21.7
18–<20 years	-	5 (27.8%)
20–24 years	15 (100%)	13 (72.2%)
Gender
Male	9 (60%)	11 (61.1%)
Female	6 (40%)	6 (33.3%)
Did not Answer	-	1 (5.6%)
Race/Ethnicity
African	12 (80%)	15 (83.3%)
South Asian	2 (13.3%)	3 (16.7%)
East Asian	1 (6.7%)	-
Country of Birth
Canada	7 (46.7%)	9 (50%)
Africa	4 (26.7%)	6 (33.3%)
South Asia	1 (6.7%)	2 (11.1%)
South East Asia	1 (6.7%)	-
South America	-	1 (5.5%)
Western Europe	1 (6.7%)	-
Did not answer	1 (6.7%)	-
Residency Status
Canadian citizen	8 (53.3%)	9 (50%)
Permanent resident	6 (40%)	9 (50%)
Did not answer	1 (6.7%)	-
Religion
Christianity	13 (86.7%)	16 (88.9%)
Buddhism	-	2 (11.1%)
Islam	2 (13.3%)	-
Highest Level of Education Achieved
High school	9 (60%)	8 (44.4%)
Completed college/technical school	4 (26.7%)	5 (27.8%)
University	2 (13.3%)	5 (27.8%)
Employment Status
Working full time	2 (13.3%)	1 (5.5%)
Working part time	2 (13.3%)	7 (38.8%)
Unemployed	3 (20%)	-
Studying (enrolled in college or university)	7 (46.7%)	10 (55.5%)
Prefer not to answer	1 (6.7%)	-

outlines the sociodemographic characteristics of our workshop participants. Seventeen participants were born outside Canada. Most participants were aged 20–24 years (n = 28) and self-identified as male (n = 20) and female (n = 12), with one participant not reporting gender.

3.1. Existing Support Services for Racialized Youth Experiencing TFSV

Participants identified a range of support services that address the mental, emotional, legal and practical needs of youth affected by TFSV. These services are provided through multiple platforms, including educational settings, community groups, legal support systems, online resources and healthcare systems. Many youth participants highlighted the importance of schools and university counseling services in connecting them with mental health professionals, such as school counselors and therapists, who can provide timely interventions by identifying mental health issues. Peer-support groups were also frequently mentioned as valuable platforms where youth can seek help, share experiences, and connect with others facing similar changes.

Youth participants noted that community-based support services are often supplemented by human rights and legal advocacy organizations such as the BC Human Rights Clinic and Legal Aid, which help them navigate legal processes, file complaints, and seek justice. Other services identified include the Crime Victim Assistance Program (BC), Cybertip.ca, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which provide immediate response mechanisms and protective support. Community-based organizations and youth-focused religious groups (e.g., Bible study groups) were recognized by youth as safe and trusted entry points for support. Participants described these spaces as opportunities to build relationships, find mentors, and engage in healing activities.

Participants also emphasized the value of anonymous and accessible online platforms, which offer both national and international resources (e.g., Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Crisis Text Line, Stopbullying.gov, and the Cyberbullying Research Centre). These platforms were described as providing educational materials, chat-based support, and referral information, reducing barriers for those who may feel uncomfortable seeking help in person. Specialized trauma services and integrated care models, such as Foundry BC, were identified by youth as important sources of comprehensive support, offering a youth-focused, centralized model of care that integrates mental health, substance use, peer support, and social services under one roof, meeting multiple needs in a single setting.

3.2. Key Gaps in Services from Youth’s Perspectives

The workshop participants identified several gaps that exist in the accessibility and effectiveness of existing support services. Limited access to services was reported, particularly for youth living in rural areas or for those who were unaware of available services. Racialized youth also described challenges such as understaffing and delayed responses in online support platforms or formal law enforcement channels, which hinder timely assistance. Participants further noted a lack of consistent follow-up and poor responsiveness in some online systems.

Financial constraints were identified as a significant barrier, limiting access to high-quality mental health care, especially when services are not publicly funded or covered by insurance. Participants identified a lack of culturally sensitive support services, particularly access to counsellors who understand and can respond to the cultural contexts of racialized youth.

Digital literacy gaps were another concern, including limited awareness of online risks, safety measures, and reporting mechanisms for abuse. Stigma and fear of judgment, from family members or service providers, were reported as additional barriers that discourage youth from seeking help. Lack of support from families and schools also results in restriction of the effectiveness and sustainability of support. Participants emphasized that insufficient support from families and schools further limits the effectiveness and sustainability of available services.

Although a range of services exists to support racialized youth affected by TFSV, participants noted that systemic, cultural, and practical obstacles continue to restrict both accessibility and impact.

3.3. Participants’ Recommendations to Address and Prevent TFSV Among Racialized Youth

Youth participants provided several recommendations for key groups, including parents and families, educators, community- based organizations, health care providers, and legal and government bodies to address TFSV and its associated impacts (

Table 2. Youth-Informed Recommendations to Address and Prevent TFSV.

For Parents and Families	Promote a safe environment Increase knowledge and awareness related to TFSV, and proactively expand support where needed for affected youth.
For Educators and The Education System	Promote education about TFSV, digital safety, and psychological and societal impacts of TFSV at schools and universities Integrate TFSV-related content as part of the health or social studies curriculum. Integrate trauma-informed and student-centered mental health support Train educators about warning signs of TFSV, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental approaches to address TFSV among youth Limit/restrict social media use and access during school hours
For Youth & Mental Health-Oriented Community Organizations	Train service providers to provide non-judgmental care and support for TFSV survivors Have staff who are multilingual and who understand cultural diversity, and appreciate inclusivity to ensure equitable access. Increase the visibility of available services, and use social media and storytelling to share relatable experiences to make youth comfortable Offer more online support for those who can not avail in-person services Create safe spaces for open discussion and peer interactions Offer translation services and materials into multiple languages
For Health Care Providers	Integration of mental health support during the first interaction with TFSV survivors Train healthcare providers on trauma-informed and patient-centered care to recognize signs of TFSV and provide culturally sensitive support Take measures to reduce language barriers. Integrate trauma-informed policies and best practices at organizational levels to ensure that individuals are heard, respected, and supported.
For Legal and Government Bodies	Implement robust security systems and government policies that clearly address the responsibilities of both perpetrators and those affected. Strengthen laws to include penalties for offenders, particularly in cases involving fake identities or sophisticated online tactics Train law enforcement officers about trauma-informed approaches Integrate collaborations between legal professionals and mental health practitioners to provide holistic care. Increase awareness of youth and families about accessible, low-cost, or free legal support, particularly for youth representing marginalized communities. Offer cultural and language inclusivity through diverse staff and availability of translation services. Engage youth and community organizations in designing and implementing legal support to build trust of young individuals who experience TFSV. Enhance transparency and clarity around privacy and data protection practices to build young people’s trust in accessing legal support. Integrate comprehensive online safety education into elementary and secondary school curricula along with clear reporting procedures for TFSV incidents. Provide ongoing funding and resources for TFSV prevention programs, research, and support services.

). The following sub-sections elaborate on these recommendations in greater detail.

3.3.1. Recommendations for Parents and Families

Youth recognized the crucial role that parents and families can play in supporting young people experiencing TFSV. Participants emphasized the importance of feeling comfortable communicating openly with their families, without fear of being ignored or dismissed. They noted that warm and friendly relationships with parents can make it easier to approach family members, helping to reduce fears of discrimination and mitigate the social isolation often experienced after TFSV.

Participants further recommended that, to foster a safe environment, parents must be equipped with the knowledge and tools to support their children effectively. They emphasized that digital literacy for parents, particularly education on the potential risks associated with social media and technology, recognizing warning signs, and strengthening family communication is essential, as such interventions will enable parents and family members to better understand the challenges youth face online and advocate for their well-being. Youth also highlighted the importance of increasing parents’ and family members’ awareness of available resources for managing and coping with TFSV, noting that this can help timely support. Additionally, they stressed the need for more educational programs (preferably language accessible) tailored to racialized parents to reduce stigma and promote awareness of TFSV and the resources available to affected youth.

3.3.2. Recommendations for Educators and Education System

The study participants noted that schools and universities currently lack trauma-informed education, yet educational institutions are well-positioned to address this gap by implementing several youth-driven recommendations. Participants recommended promoting education about TFSV and digital safety at schools and universities to increase awareness of the psychological and societal impacts of TFSV. Youth further proposed that educational institutions can implement policies to address injustice related to TFSV and integrate TFSV-related content as part of health or social studies curriculum. Youth also shared a desire to incorporate interactive learning through conferences and workshops to allow students engage in meaningful discussions about the risks associated with social media, share self-protection strategies, and collectively build digital awareness. The participants unanimously supported that the overarching goal is to promote safe and responsible technology use before students are exposed to social media platforms and content.

To better meet the needs of students experiencing TFSV, youth recommended that educational institutions integrate mental health resources that are grounded in trauma-informed and student-centered approaches. Examples include having trained counselors available to provide guidance based on students’ individual experiences and ensuring easy access to confidential one-on-one check-ins. Participants emphasized that teachers, often the first point of contact for students, should be informed about available resources so they can actively guide students to appropriate supports when needed. They stressed the need for teachers to receive education on TFSV so they can recognize warning signs and respond using trauma-informed, non-judgmental approaches. Because youth often hide their experiences, teachers should be trained to empathize, avoid blame, and create safe spaces for private conversations. Youth also noted that teachers can help facilitate discussions with parents and families, strengthening the overall support system for those experiencing TFSV.

Youth underlined the importance of educating students on safe and responsible social media use before allowing access. A few participants suggested that restricting Wi-Fi access and limiting the use of social media applications during school hours could help prevent exposure to harmful content. Additionally, they explained that structured in-class activities, assignments, and homework can reduce unnecessary screen time and discourage excessive social media use.

Together, these strategies can help youth feel empowered and supported in sharing their experiences and seeking help in a timely manner, especially when parental support is lacking or unavailable at home.

3.3.3. Recommendations for Youth & Mental Health-Oriented Community Organizations

Youth recommended a range of strategies for community organizations to enhance mental health support and well-being. They emphasized the importance of providing therapy sessions with trained mental health professionals in confidential and non-judgmental environments, alongside online support options for those unable to attend in person. Youth also highlighted the need for timely referrals to local professionals when additional help is required. To normalize help-seeking and reduce stigma, they suggested launching awareness campaigns, increasing the visibility of available services, and using social media and storytelling to share relatable experiences. Engaging influential community members and peer ambassadors, providing educational resources, and fostering positive peer interactions through group projects, team-building activities, and community events were also recommended. Youth stressed creating safe spaces for open discussion, translating services and materials into multiple languages, employing staff who are multilingual and understands cultural diversity, and promoting inclusivity to ensure equitable access. They further advocated for increased youth involvement in planning and feedback processes, developing empowering environments that support self-expression, and encouraging peer support systems to help youth feel understood and supported by those with shared experiences.

3.3.4. Recommendations for Health Care Providers

Youth emphasized the critical role of healthcare providers in supporting youth experiencing TFSV and recommended implementing trauma-informed, patient-centered approaches. They highlighted the importance of training health care providers to recognize the signs of TFSV, understand individuals’ specific needs, and provide care with dignity. This includes awareness of technologies commonly used for harassment and abuse, and creating safe, confidential, and non-judgmental spaces where patients can disclose experiences without fear of stigma.

Participants underscored the need of integrating mental health services into primary care settings, with care providers trained to assess and address the psychological impacts of TFSV. Youth also stressed the value of patient education on digital safety and consent, ensuring that youth and their families understand their rights and how to protect themselves. Providing culturally appropriate care, such as services in multiple languages and spaces suitable for racialized youth was strongly recommended.

Youth further emphasized that healthcare providers should demonstrate genuine interest in patients’ experiences, foster trust, and make young people experiencing TFSV feel confident in the care they receive. Implementing trauma-informed policies and practices at the organizational level can help ensure that individuals are heard, respected, and supported. Finally, youth recommended that healthcare providers collaborate with community organizations and social services to facilitate access to counseling, legal assistance, and other supportive resources, creating a holistic and survivor-centered response to TFSV.

3.3.5. Recommendations for Legal and Government Bodies

Our youth participants noted that a lack of awareness about legal options can prevent youth from seeking help. They underlined the need for comprehensive government and legal strategies to prevent and respond to TFSV. They recommended implementing robust security systems and government policies that clearly address the responsibilities of both perpetrators and those affected. Strengthening laws to include harsher penalties for offenders, particularly in cases involving fake identities or sophisticated online tactics, was highlighted as essential to ensure justice and prevent future incidents. Youth also stressed the importance of requiring government-issued identification for platform registration and investing in technologies to verify user identities, making it more difficult for perpetrators to evade accountability.

To support racialized youth experiencing TFSV, youth recommended trauma-informed training for law enforcement officers and collaboration between legal professionals and mental health practitioners to provide holistic care. They also emphasized the need for accessible, low-cost, or free legal support, particularly for youth coming from marginalized communities, and improving the geographical and digital accessibility of services. Cultural and language inclusivity, through diverse staff and translation services, was also reported as essential.

While highlighting the importance of addressing stigma and mistrust among racialized youth, participants recommended awareness and education campaigns to combat victim-blaming and promote confidence in authorities. Engaging youth and community organizations in program design and implementation was suggested to build trust and ensure policies and services meet the needs of those affected. Finally, youth called for strong privacy and data protection measures to ensure confidentiality, emphasizing that with these safeguards in place, individuals would be more likely to come forward and access support.

Youth also recommended integrating comprehensive online safety education into elementary and secondary school curricula, establishing clear reporting procedures for TFSV incidents, and providing ongoing funding and resources for prevention programs, research, and support services. Together, these measures aim to create a safer digital and social environment while ensuring that youth are supported.

4. Discussion

The findings of this study highlight the multifaceted strategies racialized youth recommend to prevent, respond to, and support individuals affected by TFSV. Across healthcare, educational, familial, and legal contexts, participants emphasized the importance of trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and youth-centered approaches. Participants’ accounts provide concrete insight into what these approaches may look like in the context of TFSV. Consistent with trauma-informed principles, participants emphasized the importance of being believed, receiving non-judgmental responses, and having trusted adults who respond calmly and supportively when disclosures occur. These findings highlight relational safety as a central component of trauma-informed care in digital harm contexts. From a culturally sensitive and youth-centered perspective, participants further underscored the need for support systems that are accessible, respectful of diverse backgrounds, and responsive to stigma and structural barriers that may shape help-seeking, particularly within racialized family and community contexts. These recommendations reflect a holistic understanding of the structural and interpersonal barriers racialized youth encounter when seeking support and highlight practical, actionable solutions grounded in youths’ lived experiences.

Participants identified both existing services and significant systemic inequities in responses to TFSV, particularly in rural and racialized communities where access to culturally appropriate and specialized supports remains limited. These inequities underscore the need for targeted, multi-level interventions that address not only individual harms but also structural barriers to ensure effective measures. These findings are consistent with recent research emphasizing the importance of integrated, multi-sectoral approaches to address the mental, emotional, legal, and practical challenges faced by youth in digital environments (Smith et al., 2023).

The role of parents, caregivers, and families emerged as a critical protective and supportive factor for racialized youth experiencing TFSV. While participants described family as one of the trusted sources of emotional support and guidance, echoing previous research indicating that survivors often first disclose experiences of digital harm within their close social networks (Makinde et al., 2021; Russell et al., 2024; Sambasivan et al., 2019).They also emphasized the need to increase awareness of TFSV among parents and families so they can remain open, informed, and better equipped to offer effective support to their children. These recommendations should be understood within the broader context of well-documented barriers to disclosure and help-seeking among racialized youth, including stigma, shame, and concerns related to family honour and cultural expectations. Existing literature suggests that these dynamics can significantly shape whether and how young people disclose experiences of digital sexual abuse and seek support, highlighting the need for family-focused interventions that are culturally responsive and sensitive to these structural and relational constraints (Lemaigre et al., 2017; McGinn et al., 2026). For intervention designers, these findings underscore the necessity of meaningfully including families as key partners in TFSV prevention and response strategies.

Educational institutions and teachers were also identified as key supporters for youth experiencing TFSV. Participants emphasized the need for trauma-informed policies and trainings, and creating safe spaces where students can share their experiences without fear of judgment. Youth recommended digital literacy, restrictions on non-educational social media use, and structured activities to reduce screen time during school hours. Teachers’ roles were particularly emphasized; participants stressed that trusting and empathetic teacher-student relationships are essential for disclosure and emotional support, and teachers should be equipped to guide students to appropriate resources. These findings echo prior research suggesting that schools play a central role in fostering resilience, promoting safe technology use, and reducing isolation among youth experiencing TFSV (Mendes et al., 2022; Sex Information & Education Council of Canada, 2019, 2020, 2023a, 2023b; Villardón-Gallego et al., 2023). While participants suggested restricting Wi-Fi and social media use during school hours to reduce exposure to harmful content, such strategies require critical consideration. These measures may limit exposure in schools but do not address young people’s continued access to digital spaces at home and in the community. From an intersectional perspective, safe technology use extends beyond platform literacy to include critical awareness of online harms such as extremist content, racially driven violence, and gendered digital abuse. As such, effective digital safety education must go beyond restriction-based approaches and support ongoing critical digital engagement across contexts.

In the context of healthcare and community service providers, participants underlined the critical need for providers to receive training on recognizing TFSV, responding with genuine interest, empathy, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity. Youth emphasized the integration of mental health supports into primary and community-based care, noting that fragmented services often discourage help-seeking. This aligns with existing literature rooted in providers’ lived experiences of working with children and youth experiencing sexual abuse (Joh-Carnella et al., 2023; Kittle, 2022). Taken together, these findings suggest that effective responses to TFSV require not only individual provider competencies but also more integrated and coordinated service systems that reduce structural barriers to care. Importantly, participants stressed that services must reflect the linguistic, cultural, and social realities of diverse youth and include youth voices in service design and delivery, highlighting the need for collaborative and culturally responsive models of care.

A distinctive contribution of this study is its focus on legal and governmental support to TFSV. Participants called for raising awareness of legal supports among youth and families, particularly among newly arrived and marginalized communities. Youth emphasized on visibility of legal support and trauma-informed training for legal service providers to ensure safe, respectful, and effective responses to TFSV. They emphasized that accessible, confidential, and culturally inclusive legal services which are supported by public awareness campaigns are essential to reducing stigma, building trust, and encouraging reporting. These findings underscore the need to strengthen supporters’ accountability and align legal responses with the realities of racialized youth navigating digital harm.

The findings of this study have important implications for policy, practice, and research aimed at preventing TFSV and optimizing services for racialized youth affected by TFSV. Policymakers should prioritize trauma-informed training across education, healthcare, and legal sectors, strengthen legal protections, and invest in comprehensive digital literacy and online safety initiatives. Healthcare and community service providers who are involved in support and services for TFSV should integrate culturally sensitive, confidential, and accessible mental health services. Strengthening referral pathways between healthcare, schools, and community agencies can further enhance timely and holistic support.

Educational institutions play a pivotal role and should adopt capacity building practices for both educators and school health counsellors, including training on digital safety, trauma-informed communication, and early identification of TFSV. School curricula should proactively address online safety, consent, healthy relationships, and the dynamics of digital harm. Efforts should be made in creating safe, non-judgmental school environments where youth feel supported in disclosing their experiences.

Overall, future research should focus on developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of youth-informed interventions that address both the prevention and responses to TFSV. Research should also prioritize equity, accessibility, and responsiveness to the diverse lived experiences of racialized youth across a range of geographic, cultural, and linguistic contexts.

This study has a few limitations. First, participants were drawn from only two Canadian provinces, which allowed us to include voices from racialized populations but may not reflect the full diversity or representativeness of youth across the country. Second, the study was conducted in English, which may have excluded valuable insights from racialized youth experiencing TFSV who face language barriers. As the workshops were designed to explore broad perspectives on TFSV prevention and response, participants were not specifically asked to distinguish between different forms of TFSV or types of support services. Future research should examine how support needs and intervention preferences may differ across specific forms of TFSV and service contexts, including platform-based, legal, community-based, and mental health supports. Future research should also consider including participants from a broader range of geographic regions and linguistic backgrounds to ensure more comprehensive and inclusive perspectives on TFSV.

5. Conclusions

This study highlights critical youth-informed recommendations for a wide range of stakeholders to prevent and address TFSV and its related consequences. The insights shared by our youth participants representing racialized groups emphasize the need for coordinated, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches that acknowledge the complex realities of digital harm. Collectively, these recommendations offer a clear roadmap for advancing policy, practice, and research to better protect and support young people. Importantly, they underscore the intersection of legal, healthcare, community, and educational systems in developing a comprehensive and equitable response to TFSV. By centering youth voices and prioritizing cross-sector collaboration, future efforts can more effectively create safe digital environments and promote the well-being of all young people.