Family Scapegoating Abuse

woman with cross symbol on mouth unable to speak

10 Rules of Families That Scapegoat

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
August 5, 2022May 24, 2024
34 Comments

A family that is dominated by a dysfunctional or narcissistic parent may result in its members living under a set of unspoken ‘rules’, rules which benefit the parent at the expense of their children’s well-being. The research I conducted on what I named family scapegoating abuse (FSA) suggests that dysfunctional families that scapegoat are also governed by a specific set of rules. This article reviews ten rules that I have identified as being evident in families that scapegoat one of their own.

bench on a boardwalk near a body of water at sunset

Scapegoat Recovery: The Importance of Addressing Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
July 30, 2022May 24, 2024
5 Comments

Recovering from the traumatizing aspects of family scapegoating abuse (FSA) is an individual process and each FSA adult survivor’s healing journey will be unique. But no matter the recovery route you take, you will want to first ensure you build a strong foundation for recovery by addressing symptoms of complex trauma (C-PTSD).

Family Scapegoating Abuse, Complex Trauma, and Structural Dissociation

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
July 18, 2022May 24, 2024
28 Comments

When FSA adult survivors are chronically traumatized within their family-of-origin, they can develop a form of dissociation known as structural dissociation, whereby the personality lacks integration and expresses itself through ‘parts’. But it is never too late to experience your innate wholeness…

The Scapegoat Child and the Malignant Narcissist Parent

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
July 6, 2022May 24, 2024
25 Comments

For the child victim of family scapegoating abuse (FSA), the ‘scapegoat story’ created by one or both parents (which the entire family invariably adapts and accepts unquestioningly) can negatively impact their mental and emotional health. When a parent is a malignant narcissist, the abuse the child experiences can be extreme, resulting in complex trauma (C-PTSD) symptoms secondary to grave psycho-emotional distress.

justice scales and gavel on wooden surface

Healing From the Injustices of Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA)

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
June 29, 2022May 24, 2024
19 Comments

In the twenty years I have been working with adult survivors of family scapegoating abuse (FSA), one issue that typically becomes a ‘stuck’ point in their recovery journey is the sense of grave injustice they experience in regard to the wrongs done to them within their family-of-origin – Injustices that have never been acknowledged or validated. By anyone.