Narcissistic Family System

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.

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.

young gorgeous woman standing behind iron grate

Recognizing Narcissistic Family Scapegoating Abuse

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
August 21, 2021July 1, 2024
4 Comments

In the narcissistic family system, the needs of the disordered parent take precedence over the needs of the dependent child, resulting in narcissistic abuse. Family members are not cherished individuals to be loved; they are instead ‘narcissistic supply’ whose only purpose is to serve the infantile, primitive psycho-emotional needs of the narcissistic parent.

tired mother with cute daughter resting on bed in cozy room

The Narcissistic Martyr Parent Ploy and the Scapegoat Child

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
April 14, 2021June 18, 2024

One of the ways that a narcissistic parent marginalizes their child is to demean them and put them down – This is particularly the case with the ‘scapegoat child’. An example of such marginalization tactics is evident in what S.P. named the ‘Martyr Parent Ploy’, which we consider to be a form of covert narcissism.