3 Ways Black Sheep Break the Cycle of Dysfunction

Key points

Projecting blame onto a black sheep conceals deeper family issues behind illusions of stability and normalcy.

Family black sheep are often the ones who interrupt harmful generational cycles of trauma and abuse.

They are the most likely to tell the truth about family dysfunction, and also the most likely to seek help.

In many dysfunctional or abusive families, the dysfunction is sustained through fixed family roles that unconsciously work together to maintain the toxic system. As part of the dysfunctional cycle, those with power in the family may externalize blame onto those with less power: typically one member who becomes the scapegoat or "black sheep." While the black sheep and the scapegoat can be different roles in some families, in my experience, they often overlap.

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