The 6 Assigned Roles in Family Dysfunction. The scale to the left represents who endured the most obvious abuse (Overt) to who endured the most Covert (undetectable but still there). The scale to the right represents where the most trauma developed, from inside the family Home, itself, up to the Outer World (most traumatized when leaving the family home, such as going to school or making friends).
It’s also telling at a glance that wherever the most trauma developed is in direct proportion to where one has the most difficultly functioning as an adult. Due to how the scapegoat’s trauma developed most within the family home, it’s easy to see why the scapegoat puts considerable distance between themselves and the family of origin. The mini-me, by comparison, experienced the most trauma outside of the home and therefore has the most difficulty functioning as an adult.
Below, in the next two graphs, it shows the child development process for each role and how it impacts their ongoing mindset.
Below shows the difference between the Golden Child and their “evil twin” the Mini-Me. It also demonstrates how the Surrogate Partner develops by comparison.
Notice how eerily similar the psychological development is between the Scapegoat and the Surrogate Partner. That’s because one was a target by the Outer World, while the other was bullied in the home.
Awesome job!