Betrayal

Betrayal can mean giving aid or information to an enemy of one's country(i.e. treason), delivering into the hands of an enemy a person in violation of trust or allegiance (i.e. betrayal of Christ to the Romans), being false or disloyal (i.e. betrayal of a cause) and divulging information of a confidential nature (i.e. betrayal of a secret).

Betrayal can lead to a conflict within a relationship between individuals, between an individual and an organisation or between two organisations. Someone who betrays another person or an organisation is usually called a betrayer or traitor.

Here I wish to concentrate on betrayal of a person that loves and and trusts another such as a partner or friend. When one makes friends with another person and spends a lot of time together it is quite natural to discuss information about oneself, some of which may be secret. If the other person divulges such information to third parties this can be very hurtful and can destroy one's trust.

The immedicate effect for a person that has been betrayed is emotional, with the distress felt being greater the greater the trust one had in the other person. A number of emotions can befall the person that has been betrayed, such as anger, fear of loss of the relationship and repulsion.

What can be worse than a betrayal of a person you lover and trust?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/betrayal

http://changingminds.org/explanations/trust/effects_of_betrayal.htm