Organizational trauma happens when those who were supposed to help us function as employees, students, athletes, professionals, or believers (in a faith system) instead use their position as a platform to violate our trust.

This trauma can happen through the psychological warfare of gaslighting, crazy making dialogue, fear mongering, threats, or through grooming to set up a Stockholm Syndrome effect of inducing guilt and sympathy for the aggressor.

There is usually an escalation of entitlement to one’s time, money, body and future.

When boundaries are crossed, there is a fear of reporting due to the concern of retaliation.

To further injure the victim, there can be institutional denial, deception, deflection and dismissal. Revictimization occurs when our support system, like the HR department at work, or leaders within our faith system, or professors/teachers/coaches or school administrators take the approach of protecting the system and its reputation rather than the constituents, congregants, students, athletes, employees, clients and/or individuals they serve.