Why We Blame One Person: The Scapegoat Theory Behind Outrage and Overreaction

When blame feels easier than answers

A city official is berated for authorizing the culling of a wild bear.
A celebrity is publicly canceled for an insensitive tweet from years ago.
A child in a family is always the one getting blamed when something goes wrong.

These seemingly unrelated events all point to one powerful and often overlooked mechanism: Scapegoat Theory.

Simply put, scapegoating is when a group channels its anxiety, anger, or confusion toward a single target—usually someone visible, vulnerable, or symbolically “different.”
It’s not just about blame. It’s about restoring a sense of control or unity—often at someone else’s expense.

What is Scapegoat Theory?

Scapegoat Theory originates from ancient rituals—where a goat, symbolically “loaded” with a community’s sins, would be cast out into the wilderness.
Modern psychology and sociology use the term to describe how people or institutions unload collective stress or guilt onto an individual or group.

This is especially common when:

• The real causes of problems are too complex
• There’s no clear solution
• People feel powerless or anxious

→ So the group unconsciously (or sometimes deliberately) singles out someone to carry the emotional burden.

Example 1: Wildlife culling and the backlash against local officials

● What happened

In recent incidents in Japan, bears entered residential areas, posing a threat to public safety. Local authorities ordered the animals to be culled (shot) as a last-resort measure.
The reaction? Waves of public criticism—some accusing the city staff of being heartless or “murderers.”

● Scapegoat Theory in action

• The real issues are deeply structural: climate shifts, habitat disruption, food scarcity, decades of rural depopulation
• But these are hard to grasp, let alone fix
• So the visible executor—the local official who signed off on the culling—is blamed and morally condemned

→ This is a textbook scapegoat setup: real causes ignored, emotions redirected toward an identifiable human face.

Example 2: Cancel Culture—Modern witch hunts?

● What is Cancel Culture?

Cancel culture refers to mass online backlash aimed at public figures, celebrities, or brands for perceived wrongdoings—sometimes past statements, sometimes real-time actions.

It often leads to:

• Social media outcry
• Job loss, dropped endorsements, removed appearances
• Long-term reputation damage

● Scapegoat mechanics

• Social injustice, inequality, and lingering discrimination are real and complex problems
• But instead of confronting systems, one high-profile individual becomes the stand-in for a societal wrong
• Once “canceled,” that person serves as proof the group is “cleansing” itself

→ This mirrors ritual purification logic: eliminate the wrongdoer, and the group feels virtuous.

Example 3: The “problem child” or “problem employee” who’s always blamed

● What it looks like

• In families: one child is constantly scolded, even when multiple kids are involved
• At work: a particular employee is always held responsible when things go sideways, even if the failure was collective

● What’s behind it

• The family or team is under stress—financially, emotionally, or socially
• Instead of addressing root issues, they assign blame to the person who seems weakest or least likely to resist
• This person becomes the emotional buffer, absorbing frustration that no one else wants to process

→ This is often unintentional, but no less damaging.

Comparing the three cases

Scapegoating works because it feels like resolution—without actually solving anything.

In each example, the “culprit” is not really the root cause. But punishing them offers a temporary sense of justice or closure to the group.

Why scapegoating persists in every generation

● 1. Psychological relief through blame

Humans are wired to seek closure.
When something scary, uncertain, or painful happens, we want answers—and quickly.
But real causes (like political systems, economic inequality, climate change) are messy, slow, and often intangible.

→ So instead, we blame someone we can see.
This gives us an immediate emotional release—anger feels justified, and the world becomes easier to explain.

“If we get rid of them, everything will go back to normal.”

That’s the core logic of scapegoating.

● 2. Group cohesion through exclusion

Sociologically, removing a common enemy often creates stronger group identity.
When a family blames one child, the rest feel “closer.”
When a society cancels someone, participants feel morally united.

→ This is why scapegoating isn’t just about the target. It’s about what the group gains by turning against someone.

Think: “We’re good because we’re not like them.”

It’s an emotional shortcut to unity.

The digital age has supercharged scapegoating

● 1. Social media accelerates outrage

Platforms like Twitter/X, TikTok, and Facebook are built for virality—especially emotional content.

• Outrage gets more clicks than calm reflection
• “Callout” posts feel powerful and righteous
• Misinformation spreads faster than corrections

As a result, scapegoats can go viral, even if the initial claim is misleading or unfair.

● 2. Visibility equals vulnerability

Today, being visible online makes you a potential target.

• Public figures, influencers, officials, or just outspoken users are always “on display”
• One poorly phrased post—or even a taken-out-of-context quote—can become a scapegoat flashpoint
• Once the crowd gathers, nuance disappears

And crucially, apologies often don’t help. The purpose isn’t resolution—it’s ritual punishment.

Who’s at risk of being scapegoated?

Anyone. But patterns suggest it’s often:

How to recognize scapegoating in action

Ask yourself:

• Are we blaming someone for something with complex causes?
• Is the person being blamed symbolic (a representative), rather than directly responsible?
• Are other responsible parties being ignored?
• Are emotions driving the response more than evidence?

If yes, you may be witnessing (or participating in) scapegoating.

What we can do instead

✅ 1. Slow down your judgment

When something stirs anger or fear, pause. Ask:

“What’s really going on here?”

Sometimes, the urge to blame masks deeper discomfort or helplessness.

✅ 2. Shift from “who’s guilty” to “what’s broken”

Instead of asking, “Who messed up?”, ask:

“What systems allowed this to happen?”
“How can we prevent this next time?”

This changes the tone from punishment to problem-solving.

✅ 3. Refuse to play the social media punishment game

Before you retweet a takedown, share a “gotcha” screenshot, or pile on with a hot take, ask:

“Am I helping? Or just joining the crowd?”

Scapegoating thrives on mass participation. Silence can be resistance.

Final Thoughts: Seeing the structure behind the blame

Scapegoating feels natural—but that’s exactly why it’s dangerous.

When we rush to blame, we often miss the big picture. We settle for symbolic justice instead of real solutions.
And in doing so, we risk becoming complicit in the harm we claim to oppose.

The real enemy isn’t always the person we’re pointing at.
Sometimes, it’s the system that made us point.

TL;DR Summary

🔗 Sources

• Physical Violence and Scapegoating Within the Family (ResearchGate)
• Bespoke Scapegoats: Covid-19 and Blame Avoidance (Springer)
• Intersecting in the Digital Society: Cancel Culture and Scapegoating (Frontiers in Sociology)
• When Blame Avoidance Backfires (PMC)
• Why Do Workplaces Always Blame One Person? (note)