Center for Institutional Courage Announces Third Year of Research Grants

The Center for Institutional Courage has announced its new round of research grants, notable this year for an important focus on betrayal and courage in religious institutions.

 The grants, valued at $50,000, go to 17 scholars at 11 universities. 

The President and Founder of the Center for Institutional Courage, Jennifer Freyd, observes:  "I am very pleased that Courage has been able to fund these 10 proposals as part of our competitive Institutional Courage Research Grant program, our third set of grants funded with the generous support of our donors. In particular, some of the awarded proposals focus on an issue with profound significance to many: institutional betrayal within and by religious institutions. For decades, I have personally received much outreach from victims of such betrayal, and it is encouraging to see researchers focusing on this important and developing area of institutional betrayal research." 

Grants recipients, university affiliations, and project descriptions are listed below. 

For More Information:

Research Priorities: https://www.institutionalcourage.org/knowledge-base-and-research-priorities

Research Grant Program: https://www.institutionalcourage.org/research-grant-program

Research Grants Funded, 2021 - 2024: https://www.institutionalcourage.org/grants-funded

2024 Grants

Betrayed by the Saints, Betrayed by God: An Exploratory Investigation into Childhood Sexual Abuse as Religious Betrayal in the LDS (Mormon) Church

Aubrie Patterson & Laura Noll, Northern Arizona University

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) prevalence in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) has not been documented to our knowledge, nor has institutional betrayal in an LDS context. Furthermore, we suspect that religious CSA victims may experience a unique form of betrayal trauma which has not yet been operationalized: religious betrayal. With this mixed-methods study, we will a) document CSA prevalence amongst adults who are current or former LDS Church members, b) describe their experiences with institutional betrayal, and c) operationalize religious betrayal, including how it differs from institutional betrayal in a religious context.

International Students' Experiences of Institutional Betrayal in the Aftermath of Interpersonal Violence

Emma Freetly Porter & Sarah Horwitz, Division of Counseling Psychology, Graduate School of Education, Fordham University

While there is a substantial body of literature exploring the impact of interpersonal violence (IPV) on university campuses for domestic students, there is a dearth of studies focusing on international students. This is troubling because in addition to the impact of violence itself, international students often face compounding stressors, such as discrimination and academic stresses. Past research shows that institutional betrayal (IB), which includes the harmful actions and/or inactions of institutions to respond adequately to these instances of violence, can compound negative outcomes for survivors. While IB has been studied among domestic students, no known studies have examined it with international students. Therefore, the present study is a descriptive and exploratory study seeking to understand IB and associated variables among international students exposed to IPV. In the present study, approximately 250 international students will be recruited to participate in a survey that will capture the experiences of international students on a variety of variables, including institutional betrayal, well-being, posttraumatic stress disorder, social support, and racial discrimination. Participants will also be asked whether they reported instances of violence to their institution, and barriers to reporting will be explored using thematic analysis. Multivariate regression procedures will be used to explore the relationships between key study variables. A follow-up portion of the study will employ qualitative procedures to explore these international student survivors’ experiences with IPV and IB using in-depth interviews. 

The Impact of Church-Related Institutional Betrayal / Courage on Post-Traumatic Growth in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

 Geneece Goertzen and  Dr. Gaynor Yancey, DSW, MSW, MRE, Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University

This project seeks to understand the association between Institutional Betrayal (IB) and Institutional Courage (IC), specifically as it relates to the church and survivors of domestic violence. How this impacts their post-traumatic growth is of special consideration. Survivors often cling to their faith during the abuse, only to experience mixed responses from their faith communities when disclosing that abuse. The desired outcomes of this research are to reduce IB and encourage churches to embrace IC and engage in institutional change. Informing congregations of the importance of education and highlighting the need for support measures will strengthen assistance for survivors.

Surveilled and Controlled: How Criminal Legal Surveillance Produces a System of Sexual Violence

 Brandon Alston, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University

Several scholars have advanced an understanding of contemporary policing patterns as disproportionately racially motivated. However, while scholars understand disproportionate involuntary police contacts as a racialized phenomenon, they are very rarely considered a racialized, gendered, and sexualized phenomenon. My research investigates how Black men experience surveillance techniques in sexualized ways across poor Black neighborhoods and prisons. These techniques often manifest as sexual violence, but scholars often have few insights into how sexual violence emerges during individuals’ contact with criminal legal actors. Thus, this project investigates how legal actors use surveillance within low-income Black neighborhoods and prisons to create sexual regulation and dynamics. 

Institutional Norms about Prioritizing Students’ Needs Legitimize Contrapower Harassment

Cynthia S. Levine, Department of Psychology, University of Washington

Women college/university faculty members are more likely than men to experience contrapower harassment, which is harassment from people with less formal power (e.g., students) against people with more formal power (e.g., professors). Previous research has focused on the characteristics of students that drive these disparities, but the proposed research uses an institutional betrayal framework to study institutions’ role. An experiment with a student sample and a survey of college/university professors will test whether colleges’/universities’ messages that faculty members should prioritize students’ needs (e.g., proactively check in, be available when needed) increase contrapower harassment against women and exacerbate its negative effects. 

 Linking Veterans who Experience Intimate Partner Violence to Civil Legal Assistance

Sonia Rupcic, Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Bedford VA Medical Center, Brown University

Veterans Affairs (VA) has the potential to be at the vanguard of coordinating civil legal aid for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Veterans are eligible for civil legal aid through a patchwork of legal clinics across the country. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 Veterans recruited as part of a larger survey study and 10 Veterans recruited from VA-based legal clinics, this study sheds light on whether and how Veterans with civil legal needs arising from IPV utilize VA-coordinated legal aid. This study is a proactive step at aligning Veteran medical-legal services with principles of institutional courage.

Perceptions of Institutional Betrayal and Courage among Ethnic Minority Sorority Members at a Hispanic Serving Institution

Leanna Papp & Julia O'Connor, University of Central Florida

One in five survivors of campus sexual violence feel betrayed by Greek organizations. Research on campus sexual violence in relation to Greek membership has primarily focused on historically white organizations resulting in a dearth of knowledge about the policies and practices of culturally-specific sororities. The current study aims to: 1) investigate members’ experiences and perceptions of institutional betrayal and courage within culturally-specific sororities at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and 2) examine how cultural betrayal manifests for survivors, who may experience pressure to protect the image of both their ethnic group and Greek life.

Experiences of Campus Sexual Assault, Institutional Betrayal, and Institutional Support Among Queer Survivors of Color

Rebecca Howard Valdivia, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Reducing institutional betrayal (IB) and enhancing institutional support (IS) are essential components of campus sexual assault reform. In this project, I will interview queer (LGBTQ+) student survivors of color—who experience elevated rates of campus sexual assault and IB—to inform a deeper understanding of how IB and IS manifest, and, in turn, tangible recommendations for campus reform. Specifically, I will address two research aims: 1) explicate how and from whom queer student survivors of color experience IB and IS, and 2) identify how systems of oppression manifest and coalesce within experiences of IB and IS.

Impact of Institutional Betrayal and DARVO on Survivors of Clergy-perpetrated Sexual Abuse

Elisabeth Arnold Ingram, Lisa Beijan, & John Romans, Oklahoma State University

This research investigates the impact of Institutional Betrayal and DARVO on survivors of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. Participants will complete surveys measuring institutional betrayal (IBQ), DARVO experiences, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PCL-5), dissociation (DES-II), and the neuroception of psychological safety (NPSS). By examining these relationships, the research seeks to highlight the compounded trauma of both abuse and loss of community support. The findings will inform mental health counselors, guide public policy, and promote Institutional Courage™ in ecclesial and civil institutions. This study addresses a gap in the literature by quantitatively analyzing these factors in the context of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse.

Institutional Courage, Justice and Healing: A Participatory Action Research Project to Improve College Campus Response to Sexual Violence and Center Survivors

 Molly Driessen, Social Work Department, Providence College, and Sarah Nightingale, Eastern Connecticut State University

The purpose of this participatory action research project is to investigate how colleges in the United States (U.S.) can actively engage in courageous decisions and programs from the perspective of survivors. Researchers will work collaboratively with a Survivor Advisory Board comprised of five individuals who have experienced campus-based sexual violence. Together, they will develop and administer a national mixed-methods study focused on institutional courage, justice, and healing within the organizational context. The Advisory Board and co-principal investigators will also work together to use findings to inform the knowledge base and create action that benefits college students in the U.S.