Carleton University

Published purpose

Through this 39-month project, Carleton University will conduct research that will help improve GBV services for at-risk groups. It will assess the impact of ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE) on intimate partner violence (IPV), gender-based violence (GBV) and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ violence in rural Eastern Ontario. To do so, the project will collect and analyse online social media data; conduct semi-structured interviews; and survey community-based workers and those with lived experiences. The project team will use the knowledge gained through this research to identify policy and legal gaps at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels and make recommendations to improve anti-GBV policy. It will also develop educational tools for schools and community workers in Eastern Ontario communities that may be used as a model for other rural communities across the country, contributing to the prevention of IPV, GBV and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ violence in Canada. Carleton University will engage with academia, media, the United Way of Eastern Ontario, and the public to share information on the research findings. With the Supplemental funds and extension provided in early 2026, Carleton University will address Phase I research gaps by 1) collecting new data and refining existing data to examine changes in the online ecosystem which promote GBV/IPV and anti-2SLGBTQI+ violence in rural Eastern Ontario; 2) connecting research findings to the experience of social workers and their role in preventing and mitigating misogynistic narratives, and researching the connections between intersectionality and online violence in rural Eastern Ontario; and 3) sharing research findings through online documents and/or scholarly publications. Through this they will further advance Gender Equality.