Cultural Betrayal as a Dimension of Traumatic Harm: Violence and PTSS among Ethnic Minority Emerging Adults

Campus Sexual Harassment, Other Violence, and Racism, Oh my! Evidence From Black Women Undergraduates for a Culturally Competent University Approach to Title IX

Relevant for Title IX federal legislation, the purpose of the current study is to examine cultural betrayal (within-group perpetrator) and sexual harassment (SH) with other violence and racial discrimination on Black women undergraduates' mental health. In a 60-minute online study (N = 162), over 50% experienced campus SH and other violence and/or racial discrimination, with multi-victimization being related to anxiety and other mental health outcomes. Cultural betrayal SH did not predict mental health when controlling for between-group SH. Implications include the 2019 Critical-Interdisciplinary Sexual Violence Research Summit's comprehensive research agenda: Intersectional Approaches, Perpetration, Communications, Beyond Policy, and Sexual Violence and Equity.

When solidarity hurts: (Intra)cultural trust, cultural betrayal sexual trauma, and PTSD in culturally diverse minoritized youth transitioning to adulthood

Sexual trauma is associated with PTSD, with perpetrators putting women and girls more at risk than men and boys. Young adulthood is a time where risk of victimization and susceptibility to mental health problems increase. Certain contributors of costly trauma outcomes may be affected by the larger context of societal inequality. Cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) highlights cultural betrayal in within-group trauma in minoritized populations as a dimension of harm that affects outcomes. In CBTT, within-group trauma violates the (intra)cultural trust-solidarity, love, loyalty, connection, responsibility-that is developed between group members to buffer against societal inequality. This violation, termed a cultural betrayal, can contribute to poorer mental health. The purpose of the current study is to address a gap in the CBTT literature by examining the role of (intra)cultural trust on the association between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and symptoms of PTSD among diverse minoritized youth transitioning to adulthood. Participants (N = 173) were diverse minoritized college students, who completed a 30-min online questionnaire at a location of their own choosing. Participants received course credit and could decline to answer any question without penalty. The results reveal that the interaction between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and (intra)cultural trust predicted clinically significant symptoms of PTSD. These findings have implications for increased cultural and contextual specificity in trauma research in minoritized populations, which can aid in the development and implementation of culturally competent interventions for diverse minoritized youth survivors of sexual trauma.

Violence victimization in Latina/o/x young adults: The multiplicative effects of cultural and high betrayal trauma

Latinas/os/xs experience pervasive rates of interpersonal violence victimization while also experiencing frequent discrimination and societal trauma (e.g., hate crimes). Betrayal trauma theory and cultural betrayal trauma theory provide frameworks for examining the distinct harm of violence perpetrated by a close other and by a member of the same marginalized group(s), respectively. However, no known research has examined the concurrent impacts of both forms of betrayal among Latina/o/x young adults. The current study examined the unique and multiplicative effects of high betrayal trauma (i.e., violence perpetrated by a close other) and cultural betrayal trauma (i.e., violence perpetrated by someone of the same marginalized group(s)) on psychological and physical health symptoms in Latina/o/x young adults. Latina/o/x undergraduate students (N = 208) participated in a 60-minute online survey assessing violence victimization, psychological symptoms, and physical health. Rates of victimization (91.35%, n = 190) were high across differing forms of violence. Interactions of high betrayal trauma and cultural betrayal trauma were significant for psychological, physical, and anxiety symptoms. Although there were no significant simple effects, the pattern of results suggested that being assaulted by someone who shares one's Latina/o/x identity was more strongly associated with psychological and physical symptoms when participants had not been assaulted by someone with whom they were close. The current study highlights the importance of culturally competent therapy for Latina/o/x survivors that incorporates the interpersonal and cultural contexts of victimization.

Campus Sexual Violence, Gender, and Mental Health in Diverse Undergraduate/Graduate Students

Campus sexual violence (CSV) is linked with poor mental health and alcohol use, with cisgender women and some people of Color at increased risk for victimization. Though undergraduates' experiences of CSV are typically studied, graduate/professional students may additionally be impacted by CSV. Campus climate surveys recruit random samples of the entire student population, thus increasing generalizability. The purpose of the study is to pilot the ARC3 campus climate survey to examine CSV, mental health, and alcohol use by gender and minority status in diverse undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Random samples of undergraduates (N = 775) and graduate/professional students (N = 525) completed a 30-min online survey. Compared to graduate/professional students and men, undergraduates and women experience more CSV. CSV was associated with alcohol use in undergraduates and poorer mental health in undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Universities' prevention and intervention strategies should include undergraduate and graduate/professional students, targeting sexism.

Gender, Campus Sexual Violence, Cultural Betrayal, Institutional Betrayal, and Institutional Support in U.S. Ethnic Minority College Students: A Descriptive Study

Women and ethnic minorities are at increased risk for campus sexual violence (CSV). Due to inequality, within-group victimization in marginalized communities includes cultural betrayal. Universities commit institutional betrayal (e.g., inadequate prevention) and institutional support (e.g., sensitivity). With a campus climate survey, the purpose of the study is to characterize, by gender, U.S. ethnic minority undergraduates' CSV, cultural and institutional betrayal, and institutional support. Participants (N = 222) were a random sample of ethnic minority undergraduates. College women experienced higher rates of CSV and institutional betrayal. Universities can implement a research agenda that centralizes the role of oppression in CSV.

Understanding aggression and microaggressions by and against people of colour

Efforts to understand racial microaggressions have focused on the impact on targets, but few studies have examined the motivations and characteristics of offenders, and none has examined microaggressions committed by members of racialized groups. The purpose of this study is to determine if racial microaggressions should be conceptualized as a form of aggression when committed by racialized individuals by examining the relationship between propensity to commit microaggressions and aggressive tendencies to help inform interventions. This nationwide survey recruited 356 Asian, Black and Hispanic American adults. Participants completed measures of likelihood of committing anti-Black microaggressions, aggression, negative affect, and ethnic identity. There was a significant negative correlation between ratings by diversity experts of microaggressive interactions being racist and participants’ likelihood of engaging in those same interactions. For each ethnoracial group, likelihood of committing anti-Black microaggressions was significantly positively correlated with all measures of aggression examined. The correlation between microaggressions and aggression was strongest for non-White Hispanic participants and weakest among Asian participants. A linear regression showed that aggression uniquely predicted microaggression likelihood, after controlling for respective co-variates within groups. Among non-White Hispanic participants, there was a significant positive correlation between negative affect and propensity to commit microaggressions, but this association disappeared in the regression analysis after accounting for aggression. A positive ethnic identity was not correlated with microaggression likelihood among Black participants. Findings indicate that microaggressions represent aggression on the part of offenders and constitute a form of behaviour that is generally socially unacceptable. Implications and cognitive behavioural treatment approaches are discussed.

Key learning aims

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Who Is Okay? The Harm of One-Dimensional Appraisals of Women Scholars During COVID-19 & Beyond

In this essay, I detail how homogenizing appraisals of diverse faculty women during COVID-19 are harmful to all, including myself. I highlight how academic demands to be "talking heads" and not full human beings, though not new, is especially harmful in the current era. As a Black woman faculty dealing with the double pandemic of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism, the one-dimensional appraisals of women faculty exclude me: I am not a mother dealing with sexist overburden in household responsibilities that interfere with my work. Instead, I am dealing with isolation and loneliness, which I sublimate through work productivity. Resulting in shame, I also realize that universities could operate differently, recognizing women scholars for their diversity in identities, backgrounds, responsibilities, work styles, and personalities during the pandemic and beyond. Given that work productivity is not synonymous with well-being, I hope my colleagues know that, in this moment, I am not okay.