Greyhound racing trainers in Victoria can be forced to undergo training to understand the effects of misogynistic and sexist online commentary, after a spate of abuse directed at the Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell.

A spokesperson for Greyhound Racing Victoria has confirmed the training has been introduced for those who have posted “misogynistic or sexist commentary” online, in breach of its social media policy and conduct rules.

Stewards, who are responsible for overseeing the integrity, safety and welfare of racing, can mandate the education program before deciding on penalties.

The GRV spokesperson said the training focuses on “the impacts of online misogynistic harm, sexist commentary, respectful online engagement and the standards expected of participants representing the sport”.

“[The program] is intended to promote behavioural change, improve understanding of the impacts of online conduct, and reduce the likelihood of future misconduct,” they said.

“GRV takes all breaches of its rules and policies seriously and expects participants to conduct themselves respectfully both within the sport and online.”

The spokesperson did not say whether the training was introduced due to the repeated targeting of Purcell, who is a vocal opponent of the sport.

But Guardian Australia understands the first participant is a trainer who was penalised for breaching the GRV’s guidelines after a Facebook comment referenced Purcell’s past work as a topless waitress while completing her law degree.

“Unbelievable that someone who has preyed upon men for financial benefit by removing clothing and presenting naked can actually hold a position in government,” the post from July read.

“Shows how bad this country is going. My grandmother always said women with no morals will do and say anything for self benefit.”

The trainer, who Guardian Australia has chosen not to name, had pleaded not guilty to the breach. He was given a two-month suspension and a $500 fine, both suspended for 12 months

“[The trainer] was directed by stewards to participant in an education program intended to educate him on the expectations of the GRV Social Media Guidelines and the impact of engaging in offensive comments on social media,” reads the stewards’ hearing report, published online on 24 August.

It comes after Purcell used a parliamentary adjournment in July to urge the minister for racing, Anthony Carbines, to mandate gendered violence prevention training after she reported “dozens of sexist, threatening, demeaning and derogatory comments by industry participants” to GRV. She said the penalties laid by the stewards in response had been “minuscule”.

Purcell pointed to the case of a seperate trainer who had his six-month licence suspension halved to three months after appealing to the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) in June.

skip past newsletter promotionFree newsletter | Around 2-3 times a day

Sign up to Breaking News US

Get the most important news as it breaks

The 72-year-old trainer was found guilty of posting: “won’t be long and she will be taking off her clothes for old men again”. He pleaded not guilty, and charges were ultimately dropped regarding a separate comment stating “this girl needs a good root”.

The VRT said the post was “unacceptable” and that it “does not, and will not condone such behaviour by members of this industry”. But it determined the man was “entitled to a discount in penalty by his plea” due to being a “person of good character”.

Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell says the introduction of the training is an ‘incredibly important step’. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The Guardian

Purcell told Guardian Australia that online abuse from those in the greyhound industry was “almost a daily reality”.

“It ranges from sexist slurs to threats of violence, and the penalties laid by the industry have been completely insufficient,” she said.

Purcell said it was difficult to know how effective the training would be without seeing its contents, but described its introduction as an “incredibly important step”.

“Changing their clear culture problem is not about protecting me – it is about ensuring the safety of women who also work in the industry, and the women and girls in the lives of participants who are engaging in this behaviour.”

Research from nonpartisan organisation Women for Election, published last month, found almost 90% of the female politicians surveyed had experienced gendered online abuse. More than half had reconsidered their positions in public office, while three-quarters believed online abuse of women in politics had increased in the past two years.