It Happens in #ChurchToo: Twitter Discourse Regarding Sexual Victimization Within Religious Communities

This study sought to characterize online disclosure of, and reactions to, sexual violence victimization via the Twitter hashtag #ChurchToo, which emerged following the hashtag #MeToo as a call for disclosure of victimization within religious contexts. Thematic content analysis of 1,017 original cont...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of interpersonal violence 2022-02, Vol.37 (3-4), p.1338-1366
Main Authors: Bogen, Katherine W., Haikalis, Michelle, Meza Lopez, Richard J., López, Gabriela, Orchowski, Lindsay M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bullying
Community
Community Relations
Content analysis
Crime Victims
Disclosure
Emotional support
English language
Humans
Leadership
Personal experiences
Religion
Religious communities
Religious leaders
Sex crimes
Sex Offenses
Sexual Behavior
Social Media
Social networks
Victimization
Victims of Crime
Violence
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Summary:This study sought to characterize online disclosure of, and reactions to, sexual violence victimization via the Twitter hashtag #ChurchToo, which emerged following the hashtag #MeToo as a call for disclosure of victimization within religious contexts. Thematic content analysis of 1,017 original content, English-language tweets containing the hashtag was conducted. Twitter users who chose to disclose personal experiences of violence often shared specific details about their abuse and described institutional harm they experienced. Institutional harm included negative responses from their religious communities (e.g., minimizing, denying, blaming, and silencing). Among tweets categorized as responses to disclosure, subthemes included both positive (e.g., raising awareness, emotional support) and negative (e.g., distracting and egocentric) reactions. The commentary on Twitter reflected a concerted desire to establish accountability for perpetrators of interpersonal violence within religious communities. These data highlight the importance of providing education to religious communities on how to best support and respond to individuals who experience victimization perpetrated by religious leaders or another member of the religious community.
ISSN:0886-2605
1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/0886260520922365