Dr. Schwartz’s article is powerful. It is so sad that rivalry, jealousy, gossip drive apart family members who should be standing in supportive love for one another.
One other unmentioned family behavior, “scapegoating” is horribly damaging to the child affected by scapegoating behavior of other family members. This occurs when the blame for responsibility for turmoil or problems in the family are laid at the feet of one child. This child is singled out as the problem child and bears the brunt of parental shaming, blame, criticism and even lies the parent tells about the child to siblings.
However, I do believe Dr. Schwartz wrote an entire article specifically on scapegoating in his collection of submissions for us to read. Scapegoating is covert abuse, as is gaslighting. Both leave terrible internal emotional wounds on children. It can take years of psychotherapy to help heal.
Dr. Schwartz’s article is powerful. It is so sad that rivalry, jealousy, gossip drive apart family members who should be standing in supportive love for one another.
One other unmentioned family behavior, “scapegoating” is horribly damaging to the child affected by scapegoating behavior of other family members. This occurs when the blame for responsibility for turmoil or problems in the family are laid at the feet of one child. This child is singled out as the problem child and bears the brunt of parental shaming, blame, criticism and even lies the parent tells about the child to siblings.
However, I do believe Dr. Schwartz wrote an entire article specifically on scapegoating in his collection of submissions for us to read. Scapegoating is covert abuse, as is gaslighting. Both leave terrible internal emotional wounds on children. It can take years of psychotherapy to help heal.