Most parents will never overtly mention any one of their kids as the favorite, but actions speak much louder than words, so the disposition toward each child is loud and clear in everyday interactions ...

In interviews for my forthcoming book on verbal abuse, the subject of scapegoating comes up with great regularity; among the forms of verbal abuse used by parents, scapegoating appears to have go-to ...

Children who are raised in a dysfunctional family often do anything they can to survive. Some kids align themselves with their parents as a self-protective measure, while others are put in the ...

If you grow up with a narcissist, they label you from a young age in a way that is difficult to escape. If you grew up as the child of a narcissist, it is quite common for them to cast you into a ...

Family dynamics often create roles that children never consciously choose but still end up carrying. Two of the most common roles are the scapegoat sibling and the protected sibling. The scapegoat ...

When troubles with no clear cause and no clear solution befall a society, people often look for someone to blame. Credit: iStock/Daniele Mezzadri In times of disorder and confusion, it is easy to feel ...