(Public Post): The Scapegoat's Shadow: Socio-Political Aspects of 'Splitting' and 'Othering'
The need for a "designated other" or "shadow self" in human systems
Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA), a form of systemic abuse where one family member is consistently targeted and blamed for the family's problems, extends far beyond the confines of the home. Its insidious dynamics — which are often fueled by pathological projection processes, as discussed in my introductory book on FSA, Rejected, Shamed, and Blamed — mirror and are reinforced by broader socio-political structures, creating a chilling pattern of scapegoating that permeates various levels of society. This post provides a brief overview of societal scapegoating and is intended to serve as a springboard for further thought and discussion.
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The Nested Dolls of Othering: A Systemic Scourge
Scapegoating and "othering" in families are not isolated incidents of individual or systemic prejudice, but rather deeply embedded patterns that permeate our social structures. Like Russian nesting dolls, each systemic layer reveals an intrinsically linked iteration of the same destructive behavior.
At its core, Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA) thrives on the need for a "designated other" to shoulder repressed collective anxieties within the dysfunctional family system. This collective anxiety typically stems from ‘splitting’ dynamics rooted in unresolved trauma (both individual and intergenerational), narcissistic or other Cluster B-type dynamics impacting the family, and/or a rigid, dysfunctional family system that cannot tolerate dissent or complexity. The scapegoated individual becomes the repository for the family's shadow self, embodying all that is deemed unacceptable or threatening within the system. (Learn more about my research-based term Family Scapegoating Abuse by visiting my website at https://scapegoatrecovery.com).
Within such families, a child may find themselves in the role of "black sheep," “scapegoat,” or “Identified Patient,” i.e., they are acting as the “symptom bearer” for the distressed, dysfunctional system. Their behaviors and perceived flaws are then magnified to deflect attention away from deeper, systemic issues within the family unit itself. This initial "doll" of othering establishes a template, a learned behavior that then gets carried into wider society.
Moving outwards, the legal system, which is ostensibly meant to be a bastion of impartiality, often reflects and amplifies these same scapegoating and “othering” patterns. Minority groups, for example, are disproportionately represented in prisons, their "otherness" used to justify harsher sentences and limited access to rehabilitation. The courts, in this instance, act as a larger "doll," replicating the scapegoating dynamics observed in smaller, more personal settings.
Similarly, the education system can inadvertently perpetuate othering through biased curricula, implicit biases in teaching, and the segregation of students based on perceived differences. Religious systems may also engage in ideologies and practices that split and divide. It is no wonder, then, that children learn to categorize and differentiate, label, judge, accept, and reject based on these early influences. When these distinctions are tied to negative stereotypes, the "other" is created and solidified.
Finally, at the largest scale, the socio-political arena becomes the outermost "doll," where entire groups are systematically marginalized and demonized. Political rhetoric frequently relies on the creation of "enemies," be they immigrants, religious minorities, gender minorities, or political opponents. This "othering" justifies discriminatory policies, fuels social division, and can at times incite violence and social unrest.
How Systemic Scapegoating Manifests
Just as each Russian doll fits perfectly within the next, these layers of othering build upon each other, creating a complex and entrenched system. For example, the individual family scapegoat becomes the statistically over-incarcerated citizen, who is then demonized by political figures as a threat, reinforcing the original, harmful narrative. To dismantle this destructive cycle, we must recognize the interconnectedness of these "dolls," addressing the systemic roots of othering at every level, from the personal to the political.
This is why I often stress in my FSA-related writings that scapegoating in families reflects larger societal trends. When groups or nations face internal conflict or external pressures, they often seek a scapegoat to unify against, projecting their own shortcomings onto a seemingly vulnerable target. This can manifest as:
Racial and Ethnic Scapegoating: Historically, minority groups have been systematically scapegoated for economic woes, social unrest, and perceived threats to national identity. This echoes the family's need to maintain a facade of normalcy by blaming an "outsider" within.
Political Scapegoating: In polarized political climates, opposing parties or ideologies become demonized and blamed for all societal ills. This mirrors the family's rigid division of "good" and "bad" roles, preventing genuine dialogue and problem-solving.
Economic Scapegoating: Vulnerable populations, such as immigrants or the unemployed, are frequently blamed for economic downturns, diverting attention from systemic issues like corporate greed or policy failures.
“Be Like Us” Scapegoating (a term I created to describe one of the core mandates of dysfunctional and narcissistic enmeshed family systems, which operate as ‘closed’ systems): When “Be Like Us” Scapegoating is active in a family, children are typically conditioned and pressured to conform to unspoken (and spoken) family “rules’ and narratives, even when these are pathological, destructive, and damaging to the family system and its members. Children that individuate and separate themselves from the family “party line” are overtly or covertly punished by family power-holders (usually one or both parents, but not always) via exclusionary or rejecting and shaming behaviors. “Be Like Us” scapegoating is also evident within human systems beyond the family, where individuals and groups are pressured or expected to conform to majority influences and majority norms.
DID YOU KNOW…? “Be Like Us” Scapegoating is just one of several ways that dysfunctional and narcissistic family systems at times mirror cult systems. To learn more, read Jose Fernández Aguado’s presentation, How a Dysfunctional Family Functions Like a Cult, at https://www.icsahome.com/elibrary/topics/articles/how-a-dysfunctional-family-functions-like-a-cult
René Girard on ‘The Scapegoat Mechanism’
René Girard (a 20th century philosopher of social science) put forth a theory of scapegoating that, whether you agree with him or not, offers an intriguing framework for understanding how societies manage internal conflict, which is why I include it here:
Mimetic Desire:
Girard posits that human desire is "mimetic," meaning we desire what others desire. This imitation can lead to intense rivalry when individuals compete for the same objects or recognition.
Mimetic Crisis:
As rivalries escalate, they can trigger a "mimetic crisis," a state of widespread social disorder and potential violence.
The Scapegoat Mechanism:
To resolve this crisis, societies often unconsciously select a "scapegoat"—an individual or group to blame for the chaos. The community then unites against this scapegoat, whose expulsion or sacrifice restores a sense of order.
Systemic Nature:
Girard's theory emphasizes the systemic nature of scapegoating. It's not simply about individual prejudice, but about a fundamental social mechanism that operates at a collective level.
In essence, Girard offers a theory regarding how and why societies use scapegoating to manage internal tensions, often without conscious awareness of the process. Learn more about Rene Girard’s theory here: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/fellows/kaplan-interview-part-i-girard-scapegoating-and-the-antidote-to-annihilation/
DID YOU KNOW…? The great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung's perspective on scapegoating was deeply rooted in his concepts of the "shadow" and "projection." He viewed scapegoating as a psychological mechanism where individuals or groups project their own unwanted or denied aspects—their "shadow"—onto another person or group. This act of projection allows the scapegoater to avoid confronting their own internal conflicts and perceived flaws. To learn more about scapegoating, FSA, and projection, read my article How Projection Processes Fuel Family Scapegoating Abuse at https://familyscapegoathealing.substack.com/p/how-projection-processes-fuel-family
Systemic Reinforcement: From Family to Courtrooms to Nations
As the above discussion asserts, scapegoating as a systemic process is not confined to families; it is perpetuated by larger systems that are, on the surface, designed to provide individual and social support:
Court Systems: In custody battles, for example, a parent may be systematically scapegoated by the other parent, often utilizing alienation tactics, and the court system may fail to recognize the abuse (particularly if the abuse is covert, such as covert manipulation), further victimizing the target. This mirrors how families can use external authorities - including Ministers, Attorneys, and Health Professionals (including Mental Health providers) - to validate their scapegoating.
Mental Health Systems: Mental health professionals who lack awareness of FSA dynamics may misdiagnose the scapegoated individual, focusing on individual pathology rather than the systemic abuse - a finding that was prevalent in my original FSA research. This echoes the family's tendency to pathologize the victim to maintain control.
National and International Politics: Nations can scapegoat other nations, or internal groups, to generate support for wars, or to justify oppressive actions. This can be seen in propaganda that demonizes an enemy, or in the creation of "enemies within" to justify authoritarian measures and increased control over citizens and organizations.
Social Media: Social media can amplify scapegoating by creating echo chambers where misinformation and hateful rhetoric spread rapidly. The anonymity and distance of online interactions can embolden individuals to engage in scapegoating behavior without accountability. Read my post on the rise of online aggression to learn more at https://familyscapegoathealing.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-aggression-in-online-spaces.
The Impact of Systemic Scapegoating
The consequences of systemic scapegoating can be devastating and may include:
Individual Trauma: Scapegoated individuals experience profound emotional, psychological, and even physical trauma, leading to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and complex trauma and betrayal trauma symptoms.
Social Division: Scapegoating fuels social division and ‘splitting’, hatred, and violence, eroding trust and undermining social cohesion.
Systemic Injustice: When systems fail to recognize and address scapegoating, they perpetuate injustice and prevent meaningful solutions to complex problems.
Erosion of Empathy: The process of othering and demonizing scapegoats erodes empathy and compassion, making it easier to justify mistreatment and violence directed toward more vulnerable individuals and populations.
Breaking the Cycle of Scapegoating Abuse
Read my article on the lethal reality of Family Scapegoating Abuse
https://familyscapegoathealing.substack.com/p/the-lethal-reality-of-family-scapegoating-abuse
By recognizing the interconnectedness of FSA and broader socio-political scapegoating, we can begin to dismantle the systems that perpetuate this destructive cycle and create a more just and compassionate world. Addressing FSA and systemic scapegoating therefore requires a multi-faceted approach, including:
Increased Awareness: Educating professionals in mental health, law enforcement, education, and social services about FSA dynamics is crucial.
Systemic Change: Reforming systems to prioritize fairness, accountability, and trauma-informed practices is essential.
Promoting Empathy and Critical Thinking: Fostering empathy and critical thinking skills in individuals and communities can help prevent scapegoating.
Challenging Narratives: Challenging narratives that perpetuate scapegoating and promoting narratives that value diversity and inclusion is vital.
Supporting Scapegoated Individuals: Providing support and resources for individuals who have been scapegoated is essential for their healing and recovery.
In summary, societal and familial scapegoating, while manifesting in different contexts, share a core mechanism: The projection of unwanted attributes onto a designated individual or group.
This process, whether applied to marginalized communities or vulnerable family members, serves to maintain a false sense of cohesion and deflect responsibility from familial or systemic dysfunction.
Recognizing the insidious nature of scapegoating, whether on a micro or macro scale, is crucial for fostering empathy, promoting accountability, and ultimately dismantling the harmful structures that perpetuate such abuse.
Recommended Reads:
You’ll want to read
’s recent post, Female Relational Aggression in Narcissistic and Dysfunctional Families, (https://substack.com/home/post/p-149035555), which discusses systemic marginalization. Here’s an excerpt:In the population as a whole, dismissing, silencing, manipulating or otherwise socially sabotaging people can reinforce existing systems of marginalization, where certain groups' experiences are systematically dismissed. This behavior hinders collective growth and understanding, as we lose opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives. And it can create fractured communities where genuine dialogue and mutual understanding become increasingly difficult. - Claire Pichel, LCSW, PMH-C
This is a public post. I’d love to hear from you regarding your thoughts on societal scapegoating - please remember your comments are also public.
A Reminder: As societal scapegoating can be an understandably heated subject, please read our Community Guidelines before leaving a comment. https://familyscapegoathealing.substack.com/p/moderation-guideline-political-references
Enjoy this article? Read my post on scapegoating and social stigma:
Learn More About ‘Splitting’ in Systems
Watch my two-part video series on FSA and systemic splitting here:
I am so so so happy to see this. Edward Said, a great scholar from Jerusalem, asked in his essay, Reflections on Exile, "Is it not true that…exile…is produced by human beings for other human beings; and that, like death but without death’s ultimate mercy, it has torn millions of people from the nourishment of tradition, family and geography?” The line “death without death’s ultimate mercy” hit me hard. Being the exile in a particularly brutal family system, and bearing the load of toxic shame, death can seem like a welcome solution. How many of us have contemplated ending our own lives, because we are denied our own humanity? This post is so timely. Family splitting is racial splitting is national splitting is global splitting. In my own healing, I have turned to the writings of scapegoated people and concluded that, for me, "All the work I have done to heal leads me away from myself. To survivors, the world over. That’s where I find true family. People gutted by violence from domestic abuse to genocide. Survivors of injustice. We are kin.” It shakes us, but in connectedness, we can heal.
Rebecca, this work — your work, the work of survivors, is radical in the true meaning of the word, "getting at the root.” Seeing my own healing work in a larger context has without doubt given me the sense that I belong to a larger family, and I am not alone. As always, thank you.
I’m halfway through, because I need to go for a short walk. I think this should be in newspapers and school curricula. Brain feels such relief at having it all laid out so neatly. Like nesting dolls.
Ps. Read the full article, thank you so much for writing this! Will be sharing it far and wide. As a Pashtun person (Afghan/Pakistani), this clicked for me on so many levels and genuinely brings me peace. Having this monster unseen by the rest of the world feels like the bigger danger than even facing it!