Family Betrayal Questionnaire

Instructions, items, and numeric coding (not displayed to respondents) for the FBQ are described below.

Please cite the FBQ as:

Delker, B. C., Smith, C. P., Rosenthal, M. N., Bernstein, R. E., & Freyd, J. J. (2018). When home is where the harm is: Family betrayal and posttraumatic outcomes in young adulthood. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 27, 720-743. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2017.1382639

FBQ

This section will ask you to think about your family as a whole. This may call to mind your entire family (e.g. extended family), different families you have been a part of (e.g. through foster care, adoption, or divorce), or a specific family unit (e.g. nuclear family).

Thinking about the events described in the previous section, did your family play a role in any of the following ways?

Response options for each item are Yes (1), No (0), n/a (0)

  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 tell anyone in your family about the experience?
  5. Responding inadequately to the experience, if shared?
  6. Responding in a hurtful way to what you shared?
  7. Covering up the experience?
  8. Denying your experience in some way?
  9. Telling you that you were responsible for what happened?
  10. Punishing you in some way for telling anyone in or outside your family about the experience (e.g., loss of privileges or status)?
  11. Suggesting your experience might affect your family’s reputation?
  12. Creating an environment where you no longer felt like a valued member of your family?
  13. Creating an environment where continuing to engage with your family was difficult for you?
  14. Creating an environment where remaining in the household was difficult for you?

Thinking about the experiences described in the previous section of this survey…

Prior to these experiences, did you identify with or feel a part of your family?
Not At All (0), Very Little (1), A Good Deal (2), Very Much (3)

Following these experiences, did you identify with or feel a part of your family?
Not At All (0), Very Little (1), A Good Deal (2), Very Much (3)

Are you still living with your family? Yes/No

Does your family currently support you in some way (e.g. financially)? Yes/No