When things go wrong in a group situation it is sometimes easy to direct blame at one or more individuals within the group, this is known as ‘scapegoating’ and can be very damaging for the individual concerned and for the group.

The person may be rejected by the group and become a target for anger, frustration and ridicule by other members.  Such behaviour may lead that member to withdraw, especially if they are unwilling or unable to defend themselves. Everybody makes mistakes and we all fail sometimes; scapegoating can be comparable to bullying and most detrimental to the self-confidence of the victim.

If the group has failed because of one person then a more appropriate way of handling the situation would be for the person concerned to have a private discussion with the group leader.  Often the point of a group is to pull together and support each other – the whole group may be to blame for assigning inappropriate tasks to an individual or not providing adequate support.

In cases of scapegoating, the group leader or facilitator could restructure the group into sub-groups for a period, to reduce the effect of the whole group scapegoating one individual.  Interpersonal interactions may be structured differently in a smaller unit and may help to rebuild the confidence of members.  Restructuring may also alter the dynamics within the group once it has been fully reformed at a future time.