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Institutional betrayal is a concept described by psychologist Jennifer Freyd,[1] referring to "wrongdoings perpetrated by an institution upon individuals dependent on that institution, including failure to prevent or respond supportively to wrongdoings by individuals (e.g. sexual assault) committed within the context of the institution".[2] It is an extension of betrayal trauma theory. When institutions such as universities cover up violations such as rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse (as in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal), this institutional betrayal[3] undermines survivors' recovery. In a landmark study in 2013, Carly P. Smith and Freyd documented psychological harm caused by institutional betrayal.[4] A legal analysis concludes that this study is reliable under the Frye standard and the Daubert standard.[5]
The term is receiving increased attention based on recent White House statements about sexual assault on college campuses.[6] The term is also used by the Harvard University student group Our Harvard Can Do Better. Recent debate about how colleges respond to sexual assault by students has brought this issue renewed media attention.[7][8][9] Many students who have been sexually assaulted in college have taken to Instagram to provide anonymous accounts of their assault and the college's response. Although sharing accounts of trauma can be helpful in reducing a sense of aloneness, reinforcement via social media may cause an increase in reported PTSD symptoms linked to institutional betrayal.[10]
Institutional betrayal can occur within families, governments and the military, organizations, workplaces, religious institutions, or any organizational system in which people are dependent on systemic protection.[11] Individuals who have experienced extensive trauma appear to be both less satisfied with police responses in the face of an intimate partner violence incident and more distrustful of police.[12] Therefore, these individuals may experience feelings of institutional betrayal due to a perceived failure of the police to prevent further revictimization. Individuals who have been frequently retraumatized are also the ones most likely to utilize health care and mental health services. Institutional betrayal in the medical system is currently being investigated in the Canadian health care system. It is hypothesized that institutional betrayal in the medical system will explain symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety above and beyond the effects of general tendencies to trust others or the patient satisfaction with the care received.[13]
Institutional courage is a concept described by psychologist Jennifer Freyd as the antidote to institutional betrayal. Institutional courage refers to "rightdoings" by which institutions demonstrate accountability, transparency, and support of individuals who are harmed within the context of the institution.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Platt, M; Barton, J.; Freyd, J.J. (2009). "A betrayal trauma perspective on domestic violence" (PDF). In Tark, E.; Buzawa, E.S. (eds.). Violence against Women in Families and Relationships. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. pp. 185–207. ISBN 9780275998479. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Freyd, Jennifer. "Institutional Betrayal". Freyd Dynamics Lab, University of Oregon. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Katie J.M. Baker (April 25, 2014). "Rape Victims Don't Trust The Fixers Colleges Hire To Help Them". BuzzFeed. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Smith, C.P. & Freyd, J.J. (2013). "Dangerous safe havens: institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma". Journal of Traumatic Stress. 26 (1): 119–124. doi:10.1002/jts.21778. PMID 23417879.
- ^ Wendy Murphy; Catherine S. Martin; Carly P. Smith. "Institutional betrayal trauma" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021.
- ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (April 29, 2014). "Behind Focus on College Assaults, a Steady Drumbeat by Students". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Scientists to AAU member university presidents". Freyd Dynamics Lab, University of Oregon. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Kingkade, Tyler (November 25, 2014). "Though Under Fire For Its Own Rape Response, UVA Advises Other Schools Nationwide". Huffington Post.
- ^ "Opinion: Official campus statistics for sexual violence mislead".
- ^ Hannan, Susan (March 26, 2022). "Exposure to an anonymous survivor Instagram account is linked to institutional betrayal among campus sexual misconduct survivors". Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 19 (1): 76–93 – via SAGE Journals.
- ^ Freyd, Jennifer and Pamela Birrell (2013). Blind to Betrayal: Why we fool ourselves we aren't being fooled. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-60440-3.
- ^ Tamaian, A. & Klest, B. (2014). "Rate of revictimization exacerbates both dissatisfaction and distrust with the police in survivors of intimate partner violence. (Poster presented at the Canadian Psychological Association 75th Annual Convention, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 5–7, 2014.)" (PDF). University of Regina, Regina SK. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2014.
- ^ Tamaian, A. (2014). "Institutional betrayal in the medical system: Development, reliability, and validity of a self-report questionnaire (Unpublished master's thesis)". University of Regina, Regina SK.
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