A/Prof. Yuko Matsushima1
1Senshu University, Japan
Biography:
The author served as a Correctional Psychologist for the Ministry of Justice, Japan, for 12 years. Since 2019, she has been a faculty member at Senshu University. Alongside her academic work, she practices at a private clinic, providing treatment for individuals with sexual addiction, including those with a history of sexual offending. She is a dually certified professional, holding both the state-licensed title of Certified Public Psychologist and the credential of Certified Clinical Psychologist in Japan.
Abstract:
When encountering sexual victimization within an organization, third parties who correctly recognize the act as non-consensual and unjust often hesitate to initiate formal reporting. I investigate the socio-psychological factors contributing to this phenomenon, focusing on how institutional loyalty and a perpetrator’s professional standing function as critical barriers. Grounded in the framework of institutional betrayal, I explore why individuals suppress help-seeking behaviors and instead prefer internal, informal resolutions over public disclosure, thereby unintentionally protecting the organization at the expense of justice.
To test these dynamics, I conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial vignette experiment. Participants were recruited through an online research panel targeting employed adults aged 20–29 in Japan working at companies with 50 or more employees. Of the 540 respondents surveyed, data from 440 valid participants were retained after screening out inattentive responders. The vignettes manipulated Organizational Loyalty (High vs. Low) and the Perpetrator’s Reputation (Good vs. Poor) to assess their impacts on participants’ behavioral intentions to prioritize organizational maintenance, controlling for sexual consent awareness.
Data collection is complete, and a four-step hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis is currently underway. I hypothesize that both higher organizational loyalty and a positive perpetrator reputation significantly increase complicity intent, with the highest intent predicted at the intersection of high loyalty and a good reputation. The finalized analytical results will be presented at the conference.
By identifying these specific barriers, I aim to show how organizational environments actively hinder legal and formal reporting, complicating the path to justice for victims.