According to Claudia Black, Phd. the family scapegoat is the child who acts out in inappropriate ways. He or she may get into trouble with the law and may get involved with drugs or alcohol, carrying on the family tradition of addictions.
The scapegoat may exhibit deficits as well as strengths in fitting with his or her role in the family structure.
ALCOHOLIC
Typically, the scapegoat may be highly innovative in his/her approach to life, less prone to denying the proverbial elephant in the room, have a strong ability to make others laugh, and can be a natural born leader with an ability to lead others and self in the wrong direction,
He or she may be in dire need of anger management counseling due to inappropriate outbursts of rage. There may be a tendency to lack direction and a challenge when it comes to following directions. There may be a proclivity to lack a personal sense of boundaries, making it necessary to set rules and limits. There may be a drift towards alcohol dependence, teenage pregnancy, dropping out of school, and a lack of purpose in life. The scapegoat often is an underachiever and is defiant and rebellious.
Resolution: The following comes from my experience and not from research.
1. Families may need to become firm in setting guidelines for the scapegoats since they typically lack internal sets of limits.
2. Family members may need to be specific in setting these limits. For example, they may need to say something like "only call me once a week, and when you call, limit the time you spend talking about your personal problems."
3. Family members may need to protect themselves from anger outbursts in very practical ways such as a temporary or perhaps even permanent separation. Or they may need to hang up if they call when drunk or high.
4. Counseling can be helpful in these situations.
Dear readers, please feel free to share your thoughts on this matter.
Family Roles In Alcoholic Families ALCOHOLIC
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