being the scapegoat can actually be a sort of gift. The role actually helps the child much more in the long term than does the role of the golden child. The scapegoat is far more likely to question the family dynamics, to see how poisonous they are, to seek answers and help, and to eventually escape from the toxic family web. The golden child, however, hardly ever escapes. The golden child lives life completely enmeshed with his toxic parents doing all he can to secure their attention and keeping his role in making the family look good.
