Life As The Scapegoat | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Life As The Scapegoat

Assigned Roles of Narcsissitic Parents

4328
Life As The Scapegoat
An Upturned Soul

http://parenting.exposed/the-relationship-between-the-scapegoat-and-the-golden-child/"The golden child learns very quickly that to gain the narcissistic parent’s approval, one must behave in this un-empathetic, judgemental, disgusting way. If they behave like the scapegoat, (concerned, empathetic, and loving) they will be treated like the scapegoat. The narcissistic golden child refuses to stand in the corner with the scapegoated child and have stones thrown at them. Instead, they unconsciously decide that one will fare better in this family system, and may even gain some approval, or feigned love and support if they take on the role of psycho bully"....~Parenting Exposed, "The Relationship Between A Narcisstic Golden Child And The Scapegoat" July, 2017

...This behavior worsens in adulthood, and often results in family mobbing. The golden child and narcissistic parent are always the ringleaders in family mobbing against the scapegoat" http://parenting.exposed/2017/07/


The roles within a dysfunctional family of narcissistic parents usually consist of four separate parts. The first is the golden child, a term used for the extra special treatment they receive from the narcissistic mother/father for being the confidant, accomplice, and often the emotional care taker to them. Second is the Scapegoat, which by its very definition means the one to take all the blame. Third in line is the Mascot, which essentially means the clown. The one to be oblivious to the cruelty happening around them and even find humor in the anything but funny circumstances. Lastly, there is the lost child. This child by no means is free of the abuse but is easily forgotten and dismissed.

I grew up in an extremely dysfunctional home with a sociopath, narcissistic mother. My chosen role was to be the scapegoat, which is arguably the worst position to be in. My brother and I actually shared the role whilst he also fell into the lost child category. We were both targeted by the entire family to take all of the abuse of all different types. My brother however managed to escape their powerful clutches when he came of age, but only in the physical sense. Mentally, they had damaged him beyond repair and he would never be the same. I understand completely why he ran far away and never looked back. I on the other hand, stayed within striking distance to this horribly manipulative, abusive family and have lived to regret it.

My older sister had become a miniature replica of the woman I feared the most. She regularly assisted mother in brutal beatings and agonizing mental torture. If at times she was not specifically hands on, she would stand along-side mother smiling as it happened, as if to give her approval. From the very beginning and throughout the daily torture of this sadistic dynamic, I specifically referred to her as "The Golden Child", ironically the true term for her role.

A few key memories come to mind as I think of the incredibly vicious mentality my sister had been trained to have.

I remember the nauseating feeling I had listening to her and mother laughing and making fun of the screams of my eight year old little brother. Miraculously, he'd broken free of her after she'd tried to drown him and ran pleading desperately through the streets for help. She taunted him right alongside mother, laughing and mocking some of the most horrifying moments of his life.

In my early teen years, I recall mother just finishing an especially brutal beating in which she used tools as her weapon of choice. As I lay on the floor with my face bloodied and swollen, I look up to see my sister sprawled on the sofa looking down and back at me. She leaned in and let out a most chilling, unforgettable laugh at the wreckage she saw before her. She was all mother had trained her to be and more. She'd become the perfect little assistant.

Naively, I thought as the years went on she would have changed. This proved however to be the farthest from the truth. When my little brother left the state and was out of sight, to them he was completely out of mind. Even after repeated attempts he made to reach out to her, my sister snubbed him like a bum on 5th Avenue. He wasn't spoken of, or thought of and it was like he never existed.

Well into my thirties, I'd finally gotten my day in court against the mother who'd committed such heinous crimes. One by one, family members closest to me stood up and attested to the true details of what she'd done. All that is, except my older sister. Shockingly, as took the stand and was questioned of the abuse that took place throughout our childhood, she turned and proclaimed that the alleged abuses were merely disagreements, ....I was utterly astounded. I knew from that day that she would never be a true sister to me.

Ongoing through my adult years, she continues her attempts to make my life miserable. I am perplexed at why she would still be targeting me. What could she possibly be getting out of it in her forties? Is she really still that needy of approval that she will keep using the only tactic she's ever known? At this age, it tells me that she is not just fulfilling the dirty deeds of a narcissistic mother, but has taken the role onto herself and plainly enjoys it. Having lived through the nightmare of this erosive dynamic I am to the point where enough is enough. We are not children anymore, there is no reason for her attacks on me anymore, and I am certainly not going to withstand it ever again. Continued assaults to please a deranged, narcissistic mother long after we'd moved onto our own lives is truly unforgivable. I've tried my hardest to rise above the detrimental role I had to play, why can't she?

‘Family scapegoating is a hostile discrediting routine by which the scapegoating family members’ remove blame and responsibility from themselves for problems within the family unit, and dump all of the responsibility onto a targeted family member. The practice of scapegoating allows for feelings of anger and hostility to be projected onto the family scapegoat through continued inappropriate accusations. The scapegoated adult child of a narcissistic parent feels wrongly persecuted after receiving misplaced vilification, blame, criticism, and rejection from the member’s of the family whom the narcissistic parent seeks to influence. Scapegoating allows for the self-righteous discharge of one’s aggression onto another more vulnerable source.’ ~Parenting Exposed, "Family Mobbing In Action", July, 2017 http://parenting.exposed/2017/07/
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

13575
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2634
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1604
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments