ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how bridging may be used to avoid a potentially destructive scapegoating situation during the later phases of group development. The concept of scapegoating, a unified dislike or hatred of one member by the majority of the group, is often misunderstood as a phenomenon that is done 'to' a member of a group rather than a collusion between a group and a member's defensive patterns. The role of the scapegoat is often placed upon a group member by the remainder of the group as a way to disavow negative thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that they may be experiencing. For the scapegoat, unconsciously eliciting this hostility may be in the service of avoiding positive connection and often is a replication of his or her family-of-origin negative relationship patterns. The technique of bridging in group psychotherapy has been described as any technique designed to strengthen emotional connections between members, or to develop connections where they did not exist before.
