The Scapegoat
October 2026
Why you became the family scapegoat, why dysfunctional families need one, and how to step out of the role.
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Why you became the family scapegoat, why dysfunctional families need one, and how to step out of the role.
Explore what was happening in your family, what made you more likely to be cast as the scapegoat, and the role you took on as a kid.
Why your family may have picked you to be the scapegoat.
Some of these scripts are for speaking to yourself when the old story comes up, and you feel like the scapegoat child again.
The scapegoat role reflects what's happening in the family, not who you are. Learn why you were picked and why you carried it so long.
The golden child and the scapegoat both pay a price.
This worksheet will walk you through the struggles your family focused on, what might have been underneath them, and what the role did for everyone else.
Sometimes, the best response is no response. These scripts help you refuse the job of being the scapegoat.
Scripts for when your inner critic is challenging you.
These scripts are for the moments your family, or your own guilt, tries to pull you back into the scapegoat role.