Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ)
and Various Derivative Versions of the IBQ

Carly P. Smith and Jennifer J. Freyd

Department of Psychology, University of Oregon

and

Center for Institutional Courage

What is the IBQ?

The Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ) was designed by Carly Smith and Jennifer Freyd to measure institutional betrayal regarding sexual assault. The IBQ is designed to measure institutional betrayal that occurs leading up to or following a sexual assault (e.g., [The institution] "... created an environment where sexual assault seemed like no big deal"; "... responded inadequately to reports of sexual assault"). The IBQ also measures identification with the institution and prompts for a description of the institution involved. This version of the IBQ is meant to be administered following some measure of traumatic or undesirable experiences. The instructions refer to these experiences when asking about institutional betrayal.

The Institutional Betrayal and Support Questionnaire or IBSQ also integrates questions about institutional support that may occur related to a traumatic experience. Currently, the IBSQ is being used to measure institutional betrayal and support related to campus sexual assault and adds eight items such as "[Did the institution play a role by] ... Meeting your needs for support and accommodations?" that allow supportive behaviors that may occur in addition to betrayal.

The Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire - Health or IBQ-H was based on the IBQ to capture institutional betrayal in healthcare institutions such as hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies. This version (IBQ-Healthcare or IBQ-H) directs respondents to consider medical and healthcare institutions where negative medical experiences (e.g., prescription errors, surgical complications) occurred and asks about institutional betrayal related to those experiences. More about Carly Smith's doctoral dissertation, the first project using the IBQ-H, can be found here.

The Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire - Climate (IBQ-Climate, Lind et al., 2020) was based on the IBQ but adapted to allow all individuals who attended high school to report on the behavior of their school. The first project using the IBQ-Climate can be found here.

The Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire - Covid (IBQ-Covid, Adams-Clark & Freyd, 2021) was based on the IBQ but adapted for experience with institutional protocols and practices around managing Covid-19.

IBQ Version References

IBQ.1

Smith, C.P. & Freyd, J.J. (2013). Dangerous Safe Havens: Institutional Betrayal Exacerbates Sexual Trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26, 119-124.

IBQ.2

Based on Smith & Freyd (2013) and first presented in Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J.J. (2017). Insult, then injury: Interpersonal and institutional betrayal linked to health and dissociation. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 26, 1117-1131, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2017.1322654

IBSQ

Based on Smith & Freyd (2013) and first presented in Rosenthal, M.N., Smidt, A.M., & Freyd, J.J. (2016). Still second class: Sexual harassment of graduate students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40, 364-377.

Copyright, Use, and Permission Statement

Note: The following materials were used in the research cited above. They are all copyrighted as cited. They are available for attributed public use under a Creative Commons CC-BY-ND 3.0 license.

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire Version 1 (IBQ.1)

Reference for the IBQ.1 Smith, C.P. & Freyd, J.J. (2013). Dangerous Safe Havens: Institutional Betrayal Exacerbates Sexual Trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26, 119-124.

This questionnaire will ask you to think about larger institutions to which you belong or have belonged, which may or may not call to mind specific individuals. This may include large systems such as a university, the military, the Greek System (i.e., the Fraternity/Sorority System as a whole), or an organized religion. Additionally, this can refer to parts of these systems such as a campus dormitory, a military unit, a specific fraternity or sorority, or a particular church.

In thinking about the events you described experiencing in the previous section, did an institution play a role by (please check all that apply)...

1. Not taking proactive steps to prevent this type of experience?

2. Creating an environment in which this type of experience/s seemed common or like no big deal?

3. Creating an environment in which this experience seemed more likely to occur?

4. Making it difficult to report the experience/s?

5. Responding inadequately to the experience/s, if reported?

6. Covering up the experience/s?

7. Punishing you in some way for this experience (e.g., loss of privileges or status)?

8. Prior to this experience, was this an institution or organization you strongly identified with or felt a part of?

9. Are you still part of this institution or organization?
N/A Yes No

10. Please indicate the type of institution involved (check one or more):
University/College
Dormitory/Housing
Greek System
Sorority
Fraternity
Church
Military
Team/Sports Club
Other, Please describe:

11. Did you tell anyone about your experience/s?
N/A Yes No

12. If you told anyone about your experience/s, who did you tell?

13. If you told anyone about your experience/s, how did they react?

14. Please briefly described what occurred:

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire Version 2 (IBQ.2)

Reference for the IBQ.2: Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J.J. (2017). Insult, then injury: Interpersonal and institutional betrayal linked to health and dissociation. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 26, 1117-1131, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2017.1322654

This section will ask you to think about larger institutions to which you belong or have belonged, which may or may not call to mind specific individuals. This may include large systems such as a university, the military, the Greek System (i.e., the Fraternity/Sorority System as a whole), or organized religion. Additionally, this can refer to parts of these systems such as a campus dormitory, a military unit, a specific fraternity or sorority, or a particular church.

In thinking about the events described in the previous section, did an institution play a role by (check all that apply)...

1. Not taking proactive steps to prevent this type of experience?
2. Creating an environment in which this type of experience seemed common or normal?
3. Creating an environment in which this experience seemed more likely to occur?
4. Making it difficult to report the experience?
5. Responding inadequately to the experience, if reported?
6. Mishandling your case, if disciplinary action was requested?
7. Covering up the experience?
8. Denying your experience in some way?
9. Punishing you in some way for reporting the experience (e.g., loss of privileges or status)?
10. Suggesting your experience might affect the reputation of the institution?
11. Creating an environment where you no longer felt like a valued member of the institution?
12. Creating an environment where continued membership was difficult for you?

Prior to this experience, was this an institution or organization you identified with or felt a part of?
1- Not at all 2-Very little 3-A good deal 4-Very much

Are you still a part of this institution?
Yes/No

Please briefly identify the institution involved (e.g., church, school):

Institutional Betrayal and Support Questionnaire Version 1 (IBSQ.1)

Reference for the IBSQ.1: Based on Smith & Freyd (2013) and first presented in Rosenthal, M.N., Smidt, A.M., & Freyd, J.J. (2016). Still second class: Sexual harassment of graduate students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40, 364-377.

A. Responses to Survivors
*Instructions: In thinking about the events related to sexual misconduct described in the previous sections, did the [INSTITUTION] play a role by...

1. Actively supporting you [the person]* with either formal or informal resources (e.g., counseling, academic services, meetings or phone calls)?	Yes	No	N/A
2. Apologizing for what happened to you?	Yes	No	N/A
3. Believing your report?	Yes	No	N/A
4. Allowing you to have a say in how your report was handled?	Yes	No	N/A
5. Ensuring you were treated as an important member of the institution?	Yes	No	N/A
6. Meeting your needs for support and accommodations	Yes	No	N/A
7. Create an environment where this type of experience was safe to discuss?	Yes	No	N/A
8. Create an environment where this type of experience was recognized as a problem?	Yes	No	N/A
9. Not doing enough to prevent this type of experience/s?	Yes	No	N/A
10. Creating an environment in which this type of experience/s seemed common or normal?	Yes	No	N/A
11. Creating an environment in which this experience seemed more likely to occur?	Yes	No	N/A
12. Making it difficult to report the experience/s?	Yes	No	N/A
13. Responding inadequately to the experience/s, if reported?	Yes	No	N/A
14. Mishandling your case, if disciplinary action was requested?	Yes	No	N/A
15. Covering up the experience/s?	Yes	No	N/A
16. Denying your experience/s in some way?	Yes	No	N/A
17. Punishing you in some way for reporting the experience/s (e.g., loss of privileges or status)?	Yes	No	N/A
18. Suggesting your experience/s might affect the reputation of the institution?	Yes	No	N/A
19. Creating an environment where you no longer felt like a valued member of the institution?	Yes	No	N/A
20. Creating an environment where staying at [INSTITUTION] was difficult for you?	Yes	No	N/A
21. Responding differently to your experience/s based on your sexual orientation?	Yes	No	N/A
22. Creating an environment in which you felt discriminated against based on your sexual orientation?	Yes	No	N/A
23. Expressing a biased or negative attitude toward you and/or your experience/s based on your sexual orientation?	Yes	No	N/A
24. Responding differently to your experience/s based on your race?	Yes	No	N/A
25. Creating an environment in which you felt discriminated against based on your race?	Yes	No	N/A
26. Expressing a biased or negative attitude toward you and/or your experience/s based on your race?	Yes	No	N/A

* NOTE: This survey can be used as a measure of institutional climate as well, asking respondents to consider whether their institutions would do each of the following.

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire -- Health (IBQ-H)

Reference for the IBQ-H: Based on Smith & Freyd (2013) and first presented in Smith, 2015, First do not harm: Institutional betrayal in health care. Smith doctoral dissertation, 2015. [Smith dissertation published as: Smith, C. P. (2017). First, do no harm: Institutional betrayal and trust in healthcare organizations. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.]

This section will ask you to think about healthcare institutions that you have interacted with in the United States. This may or may not call to mind specific individuals. This may include large systems such as the United States healthcare system as a whole, hospitals, or insurance companies. It may also call to mind smaller parts of these systems such as a hospital department, a health clinic, or a doctor's office staff.

As you progress though this section, you may think about different institutions at different points. We are interested in whether you have ever had any of the following experiences at any time.

In thinking about the experiences seeking healthcare you described in the previous section, did a healthcare institution play a role by (check all that apply)...

Not taking proactive steps to prevent unpleasant healthcare experiences (e.g., by explaining procedures, side effects, etc.)?
Creating an environment in which unpleasant healthcare experiences seemed common or normal (e.g., minimizing your concerns, delivering serious news in a casual way)
Creating an environment in which a negative experience seemed more likely to occur (e.g., an apparent lack of communication between providers, lack of clear or consistent policies)?
Making it difficult to report a negative experience or share concerns (e.g., difficultly contacting provider, not being given a chance to ask questions, no clear avenue for sharing dissatisfaction)?
Responding inadequately to your concerns or reports of a negative experience, if shared (e.g., you were given incorrect or inadequate information or advice that was not feasible for you to follow)?
Mishandling your protected personal information (e.g., unauthorized release of medical history, losing records, not keeping track of complaints or concerns)?
Covering up adverse medical events (e.g., not immediately informing you of a mistake in treatment, withholding information about healthcare coverage, or not disclosing prior records of know risks for a treatment)?
Denying your experience in some way (e.g., your concerns were treated as invalid, your prior history was dismissed as unimportant)?
Punishing you in some way for reporting a negative healthcare experience (e.g., you were labeled as problematic or responsible for a lack of recovery or timely healthcare delivery)?
Suggesting your experience might affect the reputation of the institution (e.g., your experience was contrasted with the “typical” one, you were discouraged from seeking a second opinion or sharing your experiences with others)?
Creating an environment where you no longer felt like a valued member of the institution (e.g., you had to repeatedly remind providers of your identity or treatment history, your primary identity was your medical condition rather than a person, you were discriminated against due to a personal characteristic)?
Creating an environment where continuing to seek care was difficult for you (e.g., your appointments were repeatedly changed or cancelled at short notice, seeking healthcare was financially or personally difficult and not supported by the institution)?

Prior to this experience, was this an institution or organization you trusted?

Not at all
Very little
A good deal
Very much

Have you sought healthcare from this institution since having any of these experiences?
Yes/No

Please briefly identify the institution involved (e.g., insurance company, doctor’s office, private hospital, VA system, etc. -- you do not need to provide a specific name):

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire -- Climate (IBQ-Climate)

Reference for the IBQ-Climate: Based on Smith & Freyd (2013) and adapted for all students who attended high school. Reference: Lind, M., Adams-Clark, A.A., & Freyd, J.J. (2020). Isn’t high school bad enough already? Rates of gender harassment and institutional betrayal in high school and their association with trauma-related symptoms. PLOS One, 15(8): e0237713.

Please consider your high school. (If you attended multiple high schools, please consider the high school at which you spent the most time enrolled.) How much do the following statements apply to the high school's attitudes and policies around sexual harassment? Please use the following scale to respond to each item.

	Very false of the HS (1)	Somewhat false of the HS (2)	Somewhat true of the HS (3)	Very true of the HS (4)
Does not take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment? (1)
Creates an environment in which sexual harassment seems common or normal? (2)
Creates an environment in which sexual harassment seems more likely to occur? (3)
Makes it difficult to report sexual harassment? (4)
Responds inadequately to reports of sexual harassment? (5)
Mishandles student conduct processes related to sexual harassment? (6)
Covers up reports of sexual harassment? (7)
Denies the occurrence of sexual harassment in some way? (8)
Punishes individuals in some way for reporting sexual harassment (e.g., loss of privileges or status)? (9)
Suggests reports of sexual harassment might affect the reputation of the institution? (10)
Creates an environment where individuals who experience sexual harassment no longer feel like valued members of the institution? (11)
Creates an environment where continued involvement is difficult for individuals who experience sexual harassment? (12)

The Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire - Covid (IBQ-Covid, Adams-Clark & Freyd, 2021)

Reference for the IBQ - Covid: Adams-Clark, A.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2021). COVID-19-related institutional betrayal associated with trauma symptoms among undergraduate students. PLoS ONE, 16(10): e0258294.

(Response options: Yes, No, N/A)

In thinking about the experiences and concerns related to COVID-19 you described in the previous section, did your university institution play a role by:
1. Not taking proactive steps to prevent COVID-19 transmission or enact safety protocols? (e.g., failing to establish or enforce adequate safety and social distancing protocols)
2. Creating an environment in which COVID-19 transmission or safety protocol violations seemed common or normal? (e.g., emphasizing low transmission or fatality rates among college students)
3. Creating an environment in which COVID-19 transmission and safety protocol violations seemed more likely to occur? (e.g., lack of communication among university officials, lack of clear or consistent safety protocols, lack of proper safety equipment or testing)
4. Making it difficult to share your concerns about COVID-19 or report a safety violation? (e.g., difficulty contacting university leaders or officials, not being given a chance to ask questions or express concerns)
5. Responding inadequately to your concerns about COVID-19 or reports of safety violations, if reported? (e.g., you were given incorrect or inadequate information or advice that was not feasible for you to follow, your concerns were minimized or invalidated)
6. (If applicable) Mishandled a complaint or report related to COVID-19 safety protocols?
7. Covering up instances of COVID-19 transmission or safety protocol violations? (e.g., failure to publicly report accurate COVID-19 transmission rates, failure to inform students of potential COVID-19 exposure)
8. Denying your experience in some way? (e.g., your concerns about safety were treated as invalid, your pre-existing condition was dismissed as unimportant)
9. Punishing you in some way for expressing concerns about COVID-19 transmission or safety protocol violations?
10. Suggesting your experience might affect the reputation of the institution? (e.g., suggesting that success of the institution was more important than following COVID-19 guidelines, emphasizing the financial situation of the institution)
11. Creating an environment where you no longer felt like a valued member of the institution? (e.g., feeling as though the institution does not care about your safety or health)
12. Creating an environment where continued membership was difficult for you? (e.g., continued access to your education was financially or personally difficult without support from the institution)

Also see:

Our Other Research Instruments

The Institutional Courage Questionnaire (ICQ)
Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS)
The Brief Hypervigilance Scale
UO Sexual Violence Surveys (with links to full measure packets)

Other Related Pages

Return to
Jennifer J. Freyd home page

Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ) and Various Derivative Versions of the IBQ