What Is Scapegoating And Why Is It Harmful?
Scapegoating is a tactic that may be used in various forms within relationships, family dynamics, and even political conflicts, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It's an act of redirecting the responsibility or blame for something to a person or group that isn't actually at fault, typically to deflect it from the actual person or party responsible. The negative effects of scapegoating can be significant, from damaging a person's self-esteem to harming relationships and causing prejudice within society or community.
Here, we’ll explore what scapegoating is and how it can be harmful.
What is scapegoating?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), scapegoating can be defined as “the process of directing one’s anger, frustration, and aggression onto others and targeting them as the source of one’s problems and misfortunes”. It’s an often unconscious defense mechanism used to avoid blame or responsibility for one's actions or shortcomings and put them onto someone else.
What is being scapegoated?
For instance, let's say parents picked up their children from school, drove home, and went inside without locking the car. Someone then steals their wallet out of the console because the car doors were unlocked. It would be scapegoating for the parents to blame the children for the theft, claiming that they distracted them and caused them to forget to lock the car.
History of scapegoating
In exploring the history and cultural interest surrounding scapegoating, one may come across the origins of the term, which is rooted in the ancient ritual of placing the sins of a community onto the head of a goat, known as the "goat's head," and sending it out into the wilderness. This practice involved two goats, one being sacrificed and the other being released. It's crucial to understand that scapegoating can take many forms and affect various groups, including white people and other racial or ethnic communities. Recognizing and addressing these behaviors is essential for promoting a more inclusive and empathetic society.
The concept of scapegoating
The concept of scapegoating was first named by French sociologist Émile Durkheim in 1897. Durkheim believed that scapegoating was a way for communities to cope with difficult or stressful situations, serving the social order by providing an outlet for tension. He believed that when people felt overwhelmed or helpless, they would blame someone on the outside to relieve their feelings.
Scapegoat theory
Gordon Allport expanded upon this idea in 1954, introducing the "scapegoat theory". According to this theory, scapegoating serves to avoid responsibility and accountability when faced with difficulty.
In Allport's ABCs of Scapegoating, he describes the nature of scapegoating as a form of bullying that occurs in groups and society at large. Allport suggested that scapegoating could manifest in various forms, such as blaming a particular country, ethnic group, or participant of a specific community for problems that are actually caused by broader societal issues.
Narcissism and scapegoating
Scapegoating is a practice commonly employed by people who display traits of narcissism, often taking the form of bullying. In cases like these, the person may be even more aggressive about the behavior in an attempt to make the other person feel small or powerless. This reaction is typical because the narcissist’s self-esteem or self-image has been threatened by the consequences of their behavior, which can be triggering since research shows that low self-worth is common among people with narcissistic tendencies. As a result, the individual may lash out against another, seeking a scapegoat to bear the sins of their wrong actions.
Potential consequences of scapegoating or being scapegoated
Scapegoating comes with several possible consequences.
Psychological effects on the scapegoat
Scapegoating is a destructive behavior that can have long-term psychological effects on both parties involved. In the target of this behavior, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, isolation, and even conditions like depression and/or anxiety can arise. They may also begin to doubt themselves since the other person is typically denying their experiences, or making them feel as though they are not worth listening to.
Psychological effects on the perpetrator
The perpetrator of the scapegoating may also experience psychological distress due to their behavior. They may feel guilty or ashamed of their actions, which can lead to depression and/or anxiety. These feelings can also trigger a cycle of negative behaviors, further perpetuating the scapegoating.
A World Psychiatry study found that narcissistic traits significantly correlate with the denial of autonomy in romantic partners, which is typically not a healthy dynamic for any type of relationship.
What is scapegoating in families?
Scapegoating is also common in families, where participants engage in conflict and assign blame to a chosen "goat." Over time, this repeated behavior can lead to trauma from emotional isolation and dangerous behaviors like self-harm. Later in life, it can manifest as a tendency to normalize dysfunction and having difficulty setting boundaries with others.
Tips for standing up to scapegoating
If you find yourself in a situation where someone is attempting to use scapegoating tactics, it’s usually most important to prioritize your mental health. If addressing the topic and stating your needs calmly doesn’t work, it may be worth considering whether the relationship is healthy for you to be in. If the person responds with anger or aggression, keep yourself safe.
Steps scapegoats can take to protect themselves
Speak up calmly and assertively: Effective communication can help you make your needs known constructively and respectfully. Since scapegoating is often a subconscious defense mechanism, the individual may not realize what happened. However, be aware that bringing it to their attention may be met with defensiveness instead of acceptance at first.
Practice self-compassion: Scapegoating behaviors can affect the way you view yourself and your worth. Research correlates the practice of self-compassion with emotional resilience. Practicing self-kindness can help you remind yourself that you’re valuable and worthy of love even when you’ve been the recipient of harmful and unfair behaviors.
Cultivate strong social support: Research has shown that having friends and loved ones you can lean on is associated with better-reported physical health and lower risks of certain mental and physical health problems. A trusted friend, for instance, may be able to offer the support you need to take action against this behavior and heal.
Considering therapy to heal from scapegoating behaviors
As mentioned previously, scapegoating can negatively impact all parties. Whether you’re realizing you’ve engaged in this behavior or you’ve been on the receiving end of it, you may be feeling guilt, shame, experiencing low self-esteem, or having trouble making sense of the situation. If so, it may be helpful to seek the support of a therapist. They can offer you a safe space where you can evaluate your feelings about the situation and begin to heal.
Research suggests that various types of therapy can be effectively administered in person or online in many cases. If you'd feel more comfortable meeting with a mental health professional virtually than in an office, there are online therapy options available.
Heal from being scapegoated through online therapy
A platform like BetterHelp, for instance, can match you with a licensed provider who suits your needs and preferences, and you can speak with them via phone, video call, and/or online chat. Regardless of the format you may choose, therapy is one option to consider if you’re looking to heal from the wilderness of scapegoating behaviors. A skilled therapist can help you overcome toxic family behaviors and address the mental health impact of being a scapegoat of the family.
Takeaway
What does it mean to scapegoat a person?
The origins of the word “scapegoat” come from the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament when the Hebrews were commanded to choose two goats for sacrifice every year. One of these goats was killed, while the other, the scapegoat, had all of the sins of the people confessed over it and was sent into the wilderness under the burden of sin.
In modern-day lives, scapegoating is when negative feelings such as frustration, shame, envy, guilt, or anger are redirected onto another person or group, distracting them from these feelings and often replacing them with a sense of self-righteous indignation or affirmation. Often, the scapegoat is an “outsider” or some sort, from a vulnerable group such as minorities or immigrants.
Why do people scapegoat me?
A common assumption to this would be “because they can”. Often a scapegoat is someone who is vulnerable, from a group that doesn’t have the same protections as the person or people doing the scapegoating.
What is an example of scapegoating in everyday life?
In some families, they have what is known in psychology circles as a family scapegoat. This child is blamed for all of the problems of a dysfunctional household. An example of this is when one sibling is considered the “golden child” (because of looks, personality, or gender), while the other receives nothing but blame.
What is the meaning of scapegoating in a sentence?
Scapegoating is an act of blaming a person or group for their negative experience as a form of ego defense known as displacement.
What are the 4 types of scapegoating?
Sociologists recognize four different types of scapegoating:
One-on-one, in which an individual scapegoats another individual for something they did
One-on-group, in which an individual blames an innocent group for an issue they didn’t cause
Group-on-one, in which a group blames an innocent individual
Group-on-group, in which one group blames another group for their negative experience
Why is scapegoating bad?
Scapegoating can be extremely damaging to the victim. A family scapegoat experiences continual trauma that may affect them throughout their life. On an individual level and group level, depending on the circumstances a scapegoat may experience unfair ostracization, legal action, abuse from others, and other negative consequences.
The individual or group doing the scapegoating doesn’t do themselves any favors either. Ego defense through displacement can prevent growth on an individual or societal level, and often reinforces negative or problematic behaviors.
What is an example of a scapegoat in a story?
A literary example of scapegoating can be found in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The central conflict is a trial around an incident of scapegoating. An indigent young woman is beaten by her father when she is caught trying to seduce a Black man who is doing work in their home. The two of them shift the blame onto the innocent man and tell the court that he raped and beat the young woman. Because of his skin color, the court finds him guilty despite clear evidence of his innocence.
What name means scapegoat?
Azazel is a name with Hebrew origins that may mean “scapegoat”. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, modern scholars may contend that Hebrew ʽAzāzēl refers to a demon living in the desert. However, ancient biblical translators may have misinterpreted a passage in the book of Leviticus to mean "goat that departs." Ancient Hebrews are said to have sacrificed two goats — one goat for God while another was led into the wilderness, over whom "all the sins of Israel had been confessed" — a ceremony described in Leviticus.
Which is an example of scapegoating?
On a societal level, one common example of scapegoating may involve transferring blame for societal problems onto a vulnerable group, such as immigrants. On an individual level, a person may be unjustly blamed or treated in order to protect another’s self-image. This may be the case within a familial context, where one person is targeted to protect the self-image of other favored family members.
What is scapegoating in a relationship?
In the context of a relationship, scapegoating can occur when one person gets unfairly blamed for issues in the relationship or outside factors. For example, a person may regularly place the burden of their problems on their partner, avoiding responsibility for their own actions and shortcomings.
What is scapegoating in psychology?
According to scapegoat theory of social psychology, individuals undergoing negative experiences, such as job loss, can tend to place blame on innocent individuals or groups for their problems. Mistreatment of the scapegoated individual or group may then become an act of displaced aggression, in which individuals fear confronting or addressing the source of their frustrations directly. This phenomenon coincides with the idea of displacement, a defense mechanism in which a person redirects a negative emotion onto a less threatening person, group, or object.
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