Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Department

Psychology

Language

English

First Advisor

Ana Gantman

Abstract

This thesis examines how psychological explanatory frameworks and structural institutional response interact to shape how domestic violence and sexual abuse are understood and addressed. Drawing on behavioral design theory and John Dewey's transactional approach to experience, I argue that harm is interpreted through mental models that simultaneously shape both individual perception and institutional action. Using survey data from 736 participants, I demonstrate that endorsement of the "bad apples" explanatory framework, attributing abuse primarily to a small group of deviant individuals, is predicted by psychological essentialism, belief in a just world, social dominance orientation, and political conservatism. These findings suggest that explanatory frameworks are shaped by broader psychological orientations toward human nature, fairness, and social order. Structural analysis of domestic violence incidents and Family Justice Center service utilization across New York City boroughs reveals that institutional response does not scale proportionally with reported harm. Boroughs with the highest reported domestic violence burden showed the lowest levels of service engagement relative to incident burden. These disparities suggest that institutional response is influenced not only by objective need but also by structural accessibility, institutional trust, and broader social interpretation of harm. By integrating psychological and structural perspectives, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of how societies respond to abuse and how institutional systems can better promote safety, recovery, and dignity.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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