Jia Xue receives an Ontario Early Researcher Award to investigate the growing prevalence of image-based sexual abuse
Categories: Awards & Recognition, Faculty, Jia Xue, Research
Jia Xue — who was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective July 1, 2025 — has been announced a winner of the Ontario Government’s Early Researcher Award, a program that supports cutting-edge research benefiting industries and communities in Ontario. The funding will allow Xue to build a research team to examine a growing concern: image-based sexual abuse facilitated by AI.
Image-based sexual abuse includes private sexual images, sexualized photoshopping, non-consensual sexting, and sextortion. Xue’s project will inform intervention and prevention strategies and develop recommendations for supporting survivors.
We asked Xue, the founding director of the Artificial Intelligence for Justice Lab, to share some background on her research project and the impact it will have.
What will your new research focus on?
This project investigates the growing prevalence of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) and its acceleration through artificial intelligence tools like deepfakes, voice cloning, and avatars. We aim to provide the first provincial estimate of IBSA in Ontario and understand who is most at risk — particularly among youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, racial minorities, and Indigenous communities. We’re also studying how these abuses affect mental health and how service providers are responding to them.
How does this build on your past work?
My work has always centered on using AI for social justice, especially in understanding and addressing sexual and intimate partner violence. This project builds directly on my current SSHRC-funded research on AI-generated child sexual abuse materials and leverages prior studies I’ve led on digital violence, help-seeking behavior, and social media strategies used by sexual assault organizations. The methodologies — such as machine learning, social data mining, and large-scale surveys — reflect an interdisciplinary approach I’ve developed over years.
Why is this research important now?
We’re witnessing a sharp rise in digital sexual abuse cases. Globally, cyber sextortion reports are increasing, and Canada is no exception. Yet there’s a striking gap in data, especially in Ontario. This research is urgently needed to support survivors, inform culturally sensitive intervention strategies, and provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers. Understanding the intersection of AI and sexual violence is crucial for developing both prevention tools and support systems in an era where technology can so easily be misused.
What impact do you hope this work will have?
This research is designed to generate actionable insights that directly inform policy, practice, and public awareness. By producing the first provincial estimate of image-based sexual abuse in Ontario, we aim to equip service providers, educators, and policymakers with the evidence they need to better support survivors and prevent harm. We will engage a broad network—including sexual assault centers, technology companies, and government agencies—through knowledge exchange forums and targeted dissemination. Ultimately, this work seeks to strengthen Ontario’s capacity to respond to technology-facilitated sexual violence and to establish a model that can be scaled across Canada.
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Jia Xue joined the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work as an Assistant Professor in 2018 and is co-appointed with the Faculty of Information. This spring, she was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective July 1.
In addition to her role as the founding director of the Artificial Intelligence for Justice lab, Xue is affiliated with Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Her research focuses on applying computational and AI approaches to examine various facets of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, addressing biases in AI, and studying rape myth culture and school bullying in Chinese societies.
Congratulations to Jia Xue on this well-deserved award in support of her vital research!
Related:
- Jia Xue receives the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award
- The Artificial Intelligence for Justice (AIJ) Lab celebrates its 4th Anniversary at the University of Toronto
- Jia Xue receives the 2023 Ivan Sun Outstanding Young Scholar Research Award
- Assistant Professor Jia Xue is mining social media data to better understand the public’s changing reactions to the global pandemic