When Institutions Harm Those Who Depend on Them

A Scoping Review of Institutional Betrayal

Bibliographic Data

ID19522263
AuthorsMaria-Ernestina Christl (0000-0003-1718-8583, University of Denver, corresponding author), Kim-Chi Tran Pham (0000-0001-9678-0459, University of Denver), Adi Rosenthal (0000-0001-6900-266X, University of Denver), Anne P DePrince (0000-0001-5913-9793, University of Denver)
Year2024
Volume25
Issue4
Pages2797-2813
Publication date2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTrauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15248380241226627
PMID38258307
OpenAlexW4391138193
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited46

The term institutional betrayal (Smith and Freyd, 2014) builds on the conceptual framework of betrayal trauma theory (see Freyd, 1996) to describe the ways that institutions (e.g., universities, workplaces) fail to take appropriate steps to prevent and/or respond appropriately to interpersonal trauma. A nascent literature has begun to describe individual costs associated with institutional betrayal throughout the United States (U.S.), with implications for public policy and institutional practice. A scoping review was conducted to quantify existing study characteristics and key findings to guide research and practice going forward. Multiple academic databases were searched for keywords (i.e., “institutional betrayal” and “organizational betrayal”). Thirty-seven articles met inclusion criteria (i.e., peer-reviewed empirical studies of institutional betrayal) and were included in analyses. Results identified research approaches, populations and settings, and predictor and outcome variables frequently studied in relation to institutional betrayal. This scoping review describes a strong foundation of published studies and provides recommendations for future research, including longitudinal research with diverse individuals across diverse institutional settings. The growing evidence for action has broad implications for research-informed policy and institutional practice

Betrayal · Conceptual framework · Empirical research · Epistemology · Harm · Interpersonal communication · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology

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