title: Dangerous safe havens: institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma.
abstract: Research has documented the profound negative impact of betrayal within experiences of interpersonal trauma such as sexual assault (Freyd, 1994, 1996; Freyd, DePrince, & Gleaves, 2007). In the current study of college women (N = 345, 79% Caucasian; mean age = 19.69 years, SD = 2.55), we examined whether institutional failure to prevent sexual assault or respond supportively when it occurs may similarly exacerbate posttraumatic symptomatology-what we call "institutional betrayal." Almost half (47%) of the women reported at least one coercive sexual experience and another 21% reported no coercion, but at least one unwanted sexual experience (total reporting unwanted sexual experiences, N = 233). Institutional betrayal (e.g., creating an environment where these experiences seemed more likely, making it difficult to report these experiences) was reported across different unwanted sexual experiences (47% and 45% of women reporting coercion and no coercion, respectively). Those women who reported institutional betrayal surrounding their unwanted sexual experience reported increased levels of anxiety (R(2)  = .10), trauma-specific sexual symptoms (R(2)  = .17), dissociation (R(2)  = .11), and problematic sexual functioning (R(2)  = .12). These results suggest that institutions have the power to cause additional harm to assault survivors.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA. carlys@uoregon.edu
authors: Carly Parnitzke
authors: CP
authors: Smith
authors: Jennifer J
authors: JJ
authors: Freyd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003068:Coercion; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D008192:Deception; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004991:Ethics, Institutional; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult