Overview: In this insightful and informative introductory guide, the author (an internationally recognized Family Systems expert) clearly defines and describes what she named (for research purposes) Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA) - a specific type of abuse with unique, identifiable features that distinguishes it from Narcissistic Abuse. The author also offers readers a means of understanding scapegoating dynamics and the psycho-emotional injury that results from being "rejected, shamed, and blamed" by one's family, as well as insights regarding recovering from this most insidious form of systemic psycho-emotional abuse. 

Description: 'The Scapegoat' is one of the roles assigned to a child growing up in a dysfunctional family system. Because family scapegoating processes can be insidious and subtle, many adult survivors do not realize that they are suffering from a most egregious (and often chronic) form of systemically-driven psycho-emotional abuse. 

Children and adult children who are caught in the 'family scapegoat' role are the 'identified patient' in their family. They are often the targets of 'shaming and blaming', distorted family narratives (aka 'smear campaigns') and can end up rejected and discarded by those that were supposed to love them the most: Their family-of-origin. 

Despite the fact that the 'family scapegoat' role is common to dysfunctional families, there is surprisingly little research or literature available to both lay-person and clinician describing family scapegoating's features and effects on the targeted child/adult child. As a result, scapegoating is seldom recognized as abuse warranting clinical intervention and treatment.

About the Author: Rebecca C. Mandeville is a Psychotherapist (Marriage, Family Therapist/MFT), trauma-informed Recovery Coach, and an internationally recognized Family Systems expert. She served as Core Faculty at the world-renowned Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, where she began identifying, defining, describing, and bringing attention to what she later named (for research purposes) Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA). 

Rebecca currently serves clients in her online Psychotherapy and Recovery Coaching practices and continues to research and write on the unique challenges 'Adult Survivors' face when attempting to heal and recover from the trauma of FSA.