"Experts say support letters like this from bishops and those affiliated with the church can cause feelings of betrayal for not only the victim, but the wider church community." @jessicamiller.bsky.social More about the harm of institutional betrayal in these cases www.sltrib.com/news/2026/05...

"[I]t’s more important than ever to celebrate the many wins, steps forward, or acts of beautiful defiance that we saw throughout the last seven days." New list from @jesscraven101.bsky.social Resistance persistence. chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

I received this compelling drawing via a post from Peaceful Futures on LinkedIn. For more on DARVO see our research and analysis here: www.jjfreyd.com/darvo

"Utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage accounted for 91% of all new power capacity that joined the U.S. grid last year, with clean power providing more than $150 billion in economic benefits in 2025." This and so much more in the good-news list from @jesscraven101.bsky.social :

"Why am I so devastated by a few clicks on a website? When we name the harm as institutional betrayal, the answer becomes clear: because a powerful institution you depend on is failing you, and your nervous system knows it." www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/powe...

"For me, building a life worth living is about getting to choose my path, and using that choice to fight for justice, to curate joy, to find something precious in each day – in a bird’s song, the golden light of an evening, the laugh at a well-timed joke."

Yesterday "protests and marches – full of union workers, mariachi bands, students, teachers, politicians and more – commenced from the midwest to the west coast. Photos and footage of crowds filling streets in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Madison, Wisconsin, and Raleigh, North Carolina . . . "

"Labor unions, democratic organizations and community groups are organizing an economic blackout this year to commemorate May Day, International Workers Day, inspired by the economic blackout in Minnesota during the massive ICE operation in the state." Resistance persistence. May 1.

"Bad news is exhausting—we deal with it daily. Good news, on the other hand, is medicinal! So here’s some great news from the past week. . ." @jesscraven101.bsky.social chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

Good news: this time a DARVO strategy backfires. (Research on DARVO: www.jjfreyd.com/darvo) @sfifz787.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

"To understand the state of #MeToo in 2026 – and the Epstein survivors’ relation to it – requires understanding what [Tarana] Burke calls the difference between the movement and the viral moment." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

The April Courage Brief published today. We are especially excited to announce an update to our Research Tracking Database – we now have catalogued 527 articles about institutional betrayal and/or institutional courage published through 2025. www.institutionalcourage.org/the-courage-...

"Many Americans say it’s time for a change. A year ago, it seemed like a pipe dream to hope that Democrats might retake control of Congress. Now they have a shot at capturing both the House and the Senate." Resistance persistence; we can do this. Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/u...

Enablers seeking sympathy now "allowed Epstein to assault and abuse girls and women with impunity . . They imbued him with legitimacy. . . Without them, hundreds of girls and women would likely be enjoying much different lives." Alison Dahl Crossley, Bethany J. Nichols, & @adriandaub.bsky.social

So much to lament, yes, but also, as @jesscraven101.bsky.social observes: "[T]here is a parallel universe in which very good people are working very hard to make positive change and succeeding!" Savor this week's list: chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVOG...

”This could be a true reflection of his inability to understand and recollect his own statements, or it could be an intentional tactic to deflect responsibility for his words.” And, if it’s the latter, Harsey said it “would be an example of the first tactic of DARVO. . .” @sarahharsey.bsky.social

For universities to gain trust from sexual assault victims they will have to change their ways. Get rid of mandatory reporting. Cut out the institutional betrayal. Nurture institutional courage. (It works: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202... ) theconversation.com/students-exp...

Autocrats depend on the apathy and fear of citizens. Autocrats fail when citizens peacefully, persistently push back. (See Orban.) Resistance persistence, hope, courage work. "Today, once again, we have every reason to be hopeful, but no reason to be complacent." [email protected]

"Let’s . . .bask in this week’s victories. . . . Buckle up, because there’s a whole lot to celebrate in this week’s list." @jesscraven101.bsky.social And this list was created before Orban was defeated. If Hungary can do it, so can we. chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

Bad news: the grim facts described in the Sunday editorial by the NYT Editorial Board. Good news: the NYT, which holds enormous power in defining reality, is *finally* getting real. We desperately need wise adults in the room. We desperately need institutional courage. Gift article:

I agree: "Calls for impeachment should be commended." No matter how difficult it would be to make impeachment happen right now, it is the honest, moral action to call for it. I commend the many representatives calling for impeachment. @jenrubin.bsky.social www.contrariannews.org/p/undaunted-...

"Fighting Institutional Betrayal: Gender Pay Equity Litigation Against University Employers," a law review article by Nantiya Ruan, provides useful information. It describes my law suit (pp 48-53). I am moved by the final paragraph (p 56). Full text: digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcont...

Institutional betrayal harms in two distinct ways: material and psychological. If your government mistreats some people that causes material harm to those people. Because betrayal is so potent, institutional betrayal can ALSO cause psychological harm to both direct victims and other citizens.

Holding the good news in the face of the terrible news is not easy, but it is important. This week @jesscraven101.bsky.social gives us a powerful list of 60 good-news developments: chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

"Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine initial act of insurrection." @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social www.meditationsinanemergency.com/eight-millio...

"A federal judge delivered a serious setback to President Donald Trump Tuesday in long-running civil lawsuits seeking to hold him liable for the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021." Courage. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

This interesting essay links the concepts of fictive kinship ("we are family") and institutional betrayal to make sense of how much it can hurt psychologically (not just economically) to be fired without cause (or otherwise mistreated by one's employers). www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/curi...

"Historically, autocrats often have turned out to be remarkably fragile, while effective mass movements have demonstrated unexpected strength to topple them. " @jenrubin.bsky.social

Good. Mainstream press: "The No Kings protests on March 28, 2026 became the largest single‑day demonstration in the United States in more than half a century. . . The third No Kings protests were an unmistakable display of political force that could reverberate in the 2026 midterms and beyond."

"No Kings protests were the biggest yet, with over 8 MILLION Americans . . .including in every single Congressional district in the nation! The protests got real news coverage. . . Including above the fold, front page coverage in the NYT! " @jesscraven101.bsky.social See the whole good-news list:

Mark your calendars for May 1, a nationwide general strike. No shopping, no work. Dorothy's ruby slippers: no administration has power without the consent (active OR passive) of the governed. We can demonstrate the power of The People by refusing to consent. www.commondreams.org/news/no-king...

So much kindness and patriotism on display in the Seattle No Kings Day event yesterday. So many great signs, music, and costumes. I especially loved this sign: "Make Orwell Fiction Again."

Today is the day! Do it for your country. Do it for your children, grandchildren, family and friends. Do it for world citizens. Do it for yourself; it will feel good to be part of this event - now and for the rest of your life. www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

Every person who can be out on the streets tomorrow who actually gets out there will be helping us protect decency, compassion, equity, science, democracy. Remember the "3.5% Rule"? We have a chance of achieving that with your help. I hope you join me! www.nokings.org

U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins "ordered the Trump administration to bring back a woman abruptly deported to Mexico last month despite her active protections under the [DACA] program." Coggins called the deportation a “flagrant violation." She demanded justice. Courage to celebrate and support.

Reading Scott Dworkin's substack has been one of the ways I have followed successful resistance persistence. "We don’t do doom here. We bring the receipts, document the wins, and put a spotlight on the people who are fighting back." @dworkin.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/dworkin/...

More good news to celebrate and to reflect upon. The resistance has momentum. Now is the time to lean in. Lets fix this tragic and horrifying mess. Resistance persistence. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/u...

"America does not belong to strongmen, greedy billionaires, or those who rule through fear. It belongs to us, the people." Being part of No Kings on March 28 matters so very much. www.nokings.org

Survivors don’t owe anyone their stories. Yet, when women do share, delayed disclosures can be met w/ questions/doubt. Research on #betrayaltrauma + #institutionacourage can help people understand silence + action. @jjfreyd.bsky.social theconversation.com/psychologica...

Excellent new article by @apdeprince.bsky.social theconversation.com/psychologica...

"Every single major poll . . . has shown that Americans disapprove of Trump’s war in Iran. Democratic Attorneys General are collaborating . . .planning for when Trump tries to interfere with the midterms. There are now well over 3000 No Kings events planned." More from @jesscraven101.bsky.social

"Each time we show up, we disrupt President Trump’s attempts to rule through repression and remind the country, and the world, that people power is our path to a truly free America." www.nokings.org

Another important win to celebrate! Courage from plaintiffs, attorney, and judges is giving us a chance to save our democracy. We can support this courage by showing up for a No Kings protest event on March 28: www.nokings.org Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...

Years ago my lab group argued that judicial betrayal can be a particularly potent form of institutional betrayal. dynamic.uoregon.edu/jjf/articles... Now I see that judicial courage can be a particularly potent form of institutional courage. www.institutionalcourage.org apnews.com/article/new-...

Courageous judges can create institutional courage. Courageous judges are bolstered by courageous citizens. March 28 No Kings is a good day to save some lives, to demand institutional courage rather than betrayal. Resistance persistence. Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/h...

Regarding Trump's use of DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) Wong wrote: "Jennifer Freyd . . . who coined DARVO, [and co-author @sarahharsey.bsky.social noted] it’s a strategy that Trump and his team have weaponized for years to distort reality." www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...

"It was one of the most courageous battles ever fought by American men and women not in uniform. It was led by moms ready to donate their breast milk to strangers and dads ready to drive someone else’s kids to school . . . " Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/o...

"Today let’s choose to spend some time focusing on what’s good. That is, after all, how we sustain ourselves for the long fight ahead…which we are absolutely going to win." Thank you @jesscraven101.bsky.social for this good-news list. chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/extra-extr...

Sharing our open-access peer-reviewed research report indicating institutional courage buffers the harm of institutional betrayal. Institutions don't have to be perfect but they need to show some courage. @alexisadamsclark.bsky.social, @monikanlind.bsky.social psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...