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 does it mean to be the scapegoat child?
A scapegoat is a person or group you place blame on. When scapegoating children, the child is blamed or shamed for all the issues that arise within dysfunctional households.
Can family scapegoats become narcissistic?
Family Scapegoats can certainly become narcissistic as they get older. Many family scapegoats experience immense rage due to their status in the family. They know their role is unfair, but they are powerless to this dynamic when they’re young. That said, abuse is highly generational.
How do narcissistic parents affect children?
Narcissistic parents are controlling and manipulative. If they have more than one child, they tend to pit them against each other. One child is usually the favoured child, while another is the scapegoat.
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.
How do narcissistic parents treat siblings?
It’s very typical to see narcissistic parents treat different siblings very differently — often one is the favoured child and one is the scapegoat. You’ll see narcissistic parents attend every school event, every sports game, every production the favoured child takes part in, and never show up to anything the scapegoated child does.