ABSTRACT
Scapegoating is one of the most pervasive and destructive dynamics in group life. It is therefore important to be able to recognize scapegoating and know what strategies we can use when it crops up in groups or teams. Scapegoating is not confined to children and schools; it also commonly occurs in the workplace and typically it has a powerful and negative impact. The way that scapegoating works is also pernicious. It is based on the group covertly agreeing that all their difficulties, negative feelings and defeats are the responsibility of one person and then blaming that person for all their problems. The most common reason for the phenomenon of scapegoating is people's fear of confronting real and imagined differences in their team or organization. Working through scapegoating is necessary to achieve a level of group development in which diversity and collective responsibility are taken on board.
