Some parents require that the family silence one person as a way to show disapproval for who “we” are or how “we” are behaving. When one person is shunned, it is clear to that person that she is being disparaged and rejected. She receives the message that she doesn’t belong and isn’t good enough to be a part of the core group. The core group’s purposeful cruelty creates deep shame in the outed person. Is there any greater pain than to feel like you don’t belong to the group of people who are supposed to love you the most?
No
