Understanding the Role of the Scapegoat in Narcissistic Families

Last updated on October 23rd, 2024

If you follow my blog you will know that I was the scapegoat in my narcissistic family. My father was a pathological narcissist, while my mother was an enabler who hid behind me when things got ugly and was only too happy to let me take the heat. My brother, on the other hand, was the revered golden child.

As you may imagine, this was not an easy post to write, because it cut very close to home.

However I am writing it because I still remember the relief I felt the day I read an article about narcissistic families and I realized that I was not crazy.

It was so validating to find out that the insanity of my childhood had not been a figment of my imagination. That what had happened to me actually had a name.

I was the narcissistic family scapegoat.

I am writing this post to reach others who shared my experience. You are not alone. It was not your fault. You deserved better.

The tragedy of the narcissistic family scapegoat

In a family where one of the parents is a narcissist, there is always a child who gets used as a trash can for all their negative emotions and frustrations.

This child is the scapegoat, who is unfairly blamed for all the problems within a family.

The parent with narcissistic personality disorder blames the scapegoat for everything they are unhappy about.

The other members of the family soon learn that blaming the scapegoat maintains equilibrium and keeps the narcissist happy.

Soon the entire family is unloading on this unfortunate child in a barrage of abuse by proxy coordinated by the narcissist.

The life of a scapegoated child is one of confusion and isolation.

The child learns at an early age that it is better not to express their feelings or needs because it will lead to conflict with those who should love them most dearly – namely, their parents.

As adults, these individuals struggle with issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

They may find it difficult to trust other people.

They may also come to believe that they don’t deserve better treatment than what they received from their family.

In this blog post, I will explore what makes a narcissistic family so prone to scapegoating children, and I will take a look at the life of the typical scapegoat.

I will also discuss the long-term impact that being scapegoated can have on an individual.

Why does a narcissistic family need a scapegoat?

Narcissistic parents might present themselves as supremely confident individuals, but in truth they are bottomless pits of insecurity.

In order to feel powerful they pick on someone who is totally vulnerable and cannot fight back.

So they turn on their own child, turning them into their emotional punching bags, taking out their frustration on them.

In some cases the narcissist feels threatened by their child’s accomplishments and independence.

Normal parents are overjoyed when their children do well, but a narcissist sees anyone else’s success as a threat to their own self-esteem.

The narcissist may see the scapegoat as a rival, so they become a target for abuse.

The narcissist will often choose a child who is different from them to scapegoat.

This could be a child who is shy and withdrawn, or it could be a child who is outspoken and independent.

The narcissist may view these qualities as threats to their own power and control within the family.

He targeted me because I stood up to him

I was very outspoken, and I think that is what made me a target.

My father was very fond of telling everyone that I was a problem child.

His recurring refrain was that he was sure I would end up in prison one day.

I remember agonizing over his comments every night.

Why was I such a bad child?

After all, I was trying so hard to be good!

Of course, now I realize that I was not a bad child at all. He was simply projecting his own evil and maliciousness onto me.

What I could never understand when I was a kid was why my mother never stuck up for me. After all, I stuck up for her time and time again.

The answer, though I did not know it at the time, was that she enabled my father.

Her job was to support her husband in all things. If that meant making her own daughter’s life hell, then so be it.

What’s it like to be the narcissistic family scapegoat?

The life of the scapegoat is one of constant turmoil.

They are subjected to verbal and emotional abuse, and they may also be physically abused or neglected.

The scapegoat always feels like they are walking on eggshells around their parents.

They learn to make themselves as small as possible and to suppress their own needs in order to avoid conflict.

Inevitably, the child is severely damaged by his or her experience.

The following are some of the common repercussions of being scapegoated.

Mistrust

A child who has been scapegoated learns that they should never trust anyone.

The child’s emotional development is stunted and they grow up feeling unworthy and unloved.

After all they were cast aside and abused by their parents and siblings, who seemed to be more concerned with maintaining the status quo than looking out for their welfare.

Anxiety

As children, scapegoats have to be hypervigilant, constantly scanning their environment for danger.

This makes them very anxious.

As they get older they are likely to struggle with anxiety disorders, which may include panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders and depression.

The scapegoat also internalizes the toxic shame and guilt heaped upon them by their NPD parent.

They may feel like they are to blame for their abuse, even if it was obvious that the narcissist had no good reason to be angry at them.

Unfortunately they are also more likely to engage in self-destructive behaviours such as drug or alcohol abuse, cutting, and suicide attempts.

Difficulty forming relationships

Scapegoats usually find it difficult to form healthy relationships in adulthood due to lack of trust in others and low self esteem problems caused by the abuse they suffered as children.

The may think they don’t deserve better treatment than what they received from their family.

This leads them to accept less than what is fair in other relationships.

In adulthood, some scapegoats become narcissists themselves as a defence against being victimized again.

Others learn ways of compensating for their low self esteem and lack of trust in others by becoming highly successful in order to gain recognition from others outside the family.

Healing and moving on

The scars that are inflicted by a narcissistic parent are difficult to heal and the pain lasts a lifetime.

However this does not mean that all is lost. If you were the victim of scapegoating in a narcissistic family, it is possible to heal and recover from the abuse.

First, it is important to get professional help.

A therapist who specializes in working with victims of narcissistic abuse can help you understand what happened to you and how to deal with the trauma.

You also need to build a support system outside of your family.

This could be friends, a support group for survivors of narcissist abuse, or even an online forum where you can find others who understand what you’re going through.

Finally, it is essential that you work on rebuilding your self esteem.

This may involve journaling, art therapy, or any activity that allows you to express yourself creatively.

Remember to practice self care and focus on your own needs, rather than trying to please those who are still enabling the narcissist.

This is a message of hope

I realize that this is a bleak post. There is not much positive about it.

However the truth is that the scapegoat is ultimately the lucky one in the family.

They are the one who has the greatest chance of moving on to live a normal life.

Children who are not chosen as scapegoats in a narcissistic family often have many advantages.

However they are more susceptible to becoming narcissists themselves, and this can cause problems later on in life when they form families of their own.

This is in fact what happened in my case.

My father destroyed my brother but he did not destroy me.

I was bloodied and wounded, but I made it out of that hellhole that he created for us.

And so can you.

Carla Corelli

Carla Corelli, a writer, advocate, and survivor of narcissistic abuse, draws from her own upbringing with a narcissistic father to shed light on psychological trauma. Fueled by her personal journey, she pursued a degree in psychology and has dedicated herself to shedding light on the complexities of narcissistic abuse.
With over fifteen years of experience in writing and advocating for survivors, Carla is deeply committed to providing support, education, and empowerment to those who have endured similar trauma. Through her articles, Carla aims to offer a compassionate space for healing and growth, while advocating for greater awareness and understanding of narcissistic abuse.
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