Thanks for this clear picture of what scapegoating is. I’m still learning about relationships and how people manipulate them. I’ll be so glad when Jesus comes & we don’t have to be wary of others. 🙏🌈🌺
One thing I think about scapegoating as something to consider- that it is the practice of
choosing a neutral characteristic and making it bad - that can be pointed to continually- and not talking about the actual thing the ring-leader really wants to say about the one that’s picked on. Maybe the entire family calls one child clumsy when what the perpetrator of this bullying might instead truthfully say is ‘I feel stupid around you because I often don’t understand the big words you use’ or everyone is taught to call one person irresponsible, looking for all the ways that person looks irresponsible when really what the alpha bully wants to say is ‘it’s not fair that you are so good in sports - I feel jealous’ and so on. I love this article. The thing that struck me the most was the challenge to with courage refuse to participate in behind the back talk. Here’s to saying what we mean and meaning what we say!!
Thanks for this clear picture of what scapegoating is. I’m still learning about relationships and how people manipulate them. I’ll be so glad when Jesus comes & we don’t have to be wary of others. 🙏🌈🌺
One thing I think about scapegoating as something to consider- that it is the practice of
choosing a neutral characteristic and making it bad - that can be pointed to continually- and not talking about the actual thing the ring-leader really wants to say about the one that’s picked on. Maybe the entire family calls one child clumsy when what the perpetrator of this bullying might instead truthfully say is ‘I feel stupid around you because I often don’t understand the big words you use’ or everyone is taught to call one person irresponsible, looking for all the ways that person looks irresponsible when really what the alpha bully wants to say is ‘it’s not fair that you are so good in sports - I feel jealous’ and so on. I love this article. The thing that struck me the most was the challenge to with courage refuse to participate in behind the back talk. Here’s to saying what we mean and meaning what we say!!
Thank you for this clarity. I've been aware of scapegoating, but have never looked at it so closely before. Now I understand it better.
Good, informative article Cheri, as is all of your writing.