Institutional Courage Attenuates the Association Between Institutional Betrayal and Trauma Symptoms Among Campus Sexual Assault Survivors

Abstract

Objective: When an institution fails to fulfill its obligations to prevent violence from occurring or to respond adequately to violence, it commits institutional betrayal, which can compound a survivor’s distress. One proposed strategy to reduce the harm caused by institutional betrayal is institutional courage, which involves supportive and transparent institutional actions that prioritize the needs of institutional members. The objective of the present study is to examine the unique relationships between the theoretical constructs of institutional betrayal, institutional courage, and trauma-related mental health outcomes among campus sexual assault survivors within one university institution. Method: Self-report questionnaire data were collected from a sample of campus sexual assault survivors enrolled at a large, public university in the Pacific Northwest (N = 85). Results: There were no statistically significant bivariate relationships among institutional betrayal, institutional courage, and trauma symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, institutional courage moderated the relationship between institutional betrayal and trauma symptoms. Institutional betrayal was positively related to trauma symptoms among students who reported low and moderate levels of institutional courage, but institutional betrayal was no longer linked to trauma symptoms among students who reported high levels of institutional courage. Conclusion: This finding suggests that institutional courage may attenuate the negative influence of institutional betrayal. Overall, institutional courage may be a helpful approach to combat the harms of both sexual violence and institutional betrayal.