How does a family choose a scapegoat?

In some cases, parents might mistreat children who resemble or remind them of their ex-partners. Parents might also scapegoat children based on skin color, sexual orientation, or gender identity. There are myriad reasons why a parent might choose to scapegoat a child, but it is never the child’s fault.

What is family scapegoat abuse?

Key points. Scapegoating is a common form of parental verbal abuse. Research shows that scapegoating allows a parent to think of the family as healthier than it is. Scapegoating lets a parent minimize responsibility for and explain negative outcomes, enhancing a sense of control.

Can a child be scapegoated by a malignant narcissist?

If the malignant narcissist has chosen their enabling spouse correctly, then they enjoy unchecked authority in the family. Usually, a child cannot be scapegoated without the implicit permission of an enabler parent. The ringleader of abuse in the family requires that everyone sees things how she sees them.

Why is the withdrawn sibling often the target of narcissistic abuse?

“Being the withdrawn sibling often leads to speaking up about the toxicity in the family and that causes them to become the scapegoated sibling.” The scapegoat is then the target of the majority of abuse by the narcissistic parent, and any flying monkeys in the family.

How does a narcissist parent assign roles to their children?

The narcissist parent assigns different roles to their children. The purpose of this is to meet their own emotional needs while pitting family members against one another. Often there is a favored child or “golden child” who is idealized and one or more scapegoats who are devalued.

Can a child be scapegoated by a parent?

Usually, a child cannot be scapegoated without the implicit permission of an enabler parent. The ringleader of abuse in the family requires that everyone sees things how she sees them. If she sees the scapegoat as the abomination then her partner and other children better agree with her.