EPL On The Edge
On The Edge is a speaker series featuring cutting-edge research presented by scholars and researchers from Edmonton's academic community. Presented by the ¶®É«µÛ's Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), these sessions take place monthly at the Strathcona Library Branch. All are welcome to attend and explore the forefront of academic discovery with us!
“MeToo Goes to Church”: Understanding Barriers to Clergy Sexual Abuse Disclosures and Impacts on Nigerian #ChurchToo Movement
The Nigerian #ChurchToo movement, which emerged in 2019, has emboldened some survivors to publicly disclose their stories of abuse, using both online and offline platforms, and to organize protests. Discourse thus far has overlooked survivors’ perspectives, which are shaped by individual, relational, and institutional factors. These factors bear both positive and negative effects on the church and broader society. Using narrative storytelling and case study approaches, I draw on personal accounts from survivors and integrate secondary sources that chronicle additional survivors’ disclosures in news media. This study explores the following: enablers of clergy sexual abuse, barriers to disclosure, impacts on survivors, the church and broader society, as well as the implications for the #ChurchToo movement. Findings unravel the complexities of pastoral sexual abuse and propose strategies for prevention and intervention.
Date/Time: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 | 7 - 8:30 p.m. MT | Online (Zoom)
About the Presenter:
Bridget Alichie is currently completing her PhD in Sociology at the ¶®É«µÛ. She teaches and researches in the areas of criminology and social justice, gender and sexuality, media studies, and Black and diaspora studies. Her doctoral work examines the Nigerian #ChurchToo movement against clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA) in Pentecostal megachurches. As an incoming postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, she continues her work exploring survivors’ perspectives on witch-hunts and violence against children in Nigerian Pentecostal churches.
Contact Us
Jay Friesen, Ph.D.
Educational Curriculum Developer
Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Email: jayf@ualberta.ca