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When care hurts: Institutional betrayal trauma among former foster youth

Author

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  • Zilberstein, Karen
  • Linville, Deanna
  • Ruff, Saralyn

Abstract

Institutional betrayals involve harmful or negligent actions by institutions that breach the trust of those who depend on them. Their occurrences and traumatic effects have been studied in only a few settings, and the contextual factors that enable them are not yet well understood. This study sought to capture former foster youths’ perspectives on how the child welfare system perpetuates institutional betrayals, their impacts, and contributing factors. Thirteen former foster youth participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups over Zoom, discussing their experiences with the foster care and mental health systems. Descriptive phenomenology was used to analyze the transcribed interviews, revealing seven forms of institutional betrayal: repeated losses, traumatic removals, disempowerment, pathologization, discrimination, abuse, and poor service provision. These experiences led to adverse outcomes such as mental health issues, difficulty trusting others, poor self-perception, and stigmatization. Participants cited fragmented systems and low access to quality resources as contributing factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Zilberstein, Karen & Linville, Deanna & Ruff, Saralyn, 2025. "When care hurts: Institutional betrayal trauma among former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:179:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925005043
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108621
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:plo:pone00:0237713 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Sarah Duffy & Michelle O’Shea & Liyaning Maggie Tang, 2023. "Sexually harassed, assaulted, silenced, and now heard: Institutional betrayal and its affects," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1387-1406, July.
    3. Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Cho, Minhae & Suleiman, Johara & Park, Sookyoung, 2023. "Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. E Jason Baron & Joseph J DoyleJr & Natalia Emanuel & Peter Hull & Joseph Ryan, 2024. "Discrimination in Multiphase Systems: Evidence from Child Protection," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 139(3), pages 1611-1664.
    5. Alan J. Dettlaff & Reiko Boyd, 2020. "Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in the Child Welfare System: Why Do They Exist, and What Can Be Done to Address Them?," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 692(1), pages 253-274, November.
    6. Haight, Wendy & Cho, Minhae & Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Suleiman, Johara, 2022. "Moral injury experienced by emerging adults with child welfare histories in developmental and sociocultural contexts: “I knew the system was broken.”," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
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