What is the definition of a "Dysfunctional" family?

Question

I find this term VERY negative. Aren't we in fact ALL from dysfunctional families? Everyone's parents made mistakes, as did their parents and so on down the line. And - if we ARE all dysfunctional, what could possibly be the definition of a Functional family - because I've never heard THAT term in describing someone's family life?

Answer 1

A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehaviour and even abuse on the part of individual members of the family occur continually, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is normal. Dysfunctional families are most often a result of the alcoholism, substance abuse, or other addictions of parents, parents' untreated mental illnesses/defects or personality disorders, or the parents emulating their own dysfunctional parents and dysfunctional family experiences.

Above is the definition from the encyclopedia. This tells me that these behaviours are only normal if they happen on occasion. The positive thing is that the cycle can be broken by the next generation.

Answer 2

Dysfunctional Definition

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the definition of a "Dysfunctional" family?
I find this term VERY negative. Aren't we in fact ALL from dysfunctional families? Everyone's parents made mistakes, as did their parents and so on down the line. And - if we ARE all dysfunctional, wh...

Answer 4

A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior and even abuse on the part of individual members of the family occur continually, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is normal. Dysfunctional families are most often a result of the alcoholism, substance abuse, or other addictions of parents, parents' untreated mental illnesses/defects or personality disorders, or the parents emulating their own dysfunctional parents and dysfunctional family experiences.

Dysfunctional family members have common symptoms and behavior patterns as a result of their common experiences within the family structure. This tends to reinforce the dysfunctional behavior, either through enabling or perpetuation. The family unit can be affected by a variety of factors.

Answer 5

The "dysfunctional" comes with the families who haven't the backbone to have safe family rules, responsible parents, no drunks, no drugs.

There are problems within every home, but you have to go out and see for yourself how dysfunctional really is. If you have parents who refuse to work, don't feed the kids because their drugs and booze comes first, that's very dysfuntional. Or your family have really bad mental problems that have been extended into the newer family members brains.

There are alot of functional famlies.

Answer 6

Actually our family's motto is "We put the "fun" in dysfunctional!!"

Parents making mistakes isn't the same as dysfunctional, parents are people, people make mistakes. The difference is how you handle those mistakes. Do you own them and try to correct them? Do you admit them and apologize for them? Do you realize that you aren't perfect, and forgive yourself for not being so? Do you try to not repeat them, and do your best to learn from them? That's what effective parents do.

The goal should be for a parent to reproduce a person who is socially acceptable and not a burden on society. If you are not socially acceptable and you ARE a burden on society, its almost impossible to be a functional parent. But anyone can rise above their circumstances if they want to, and do a better job than was done for them, and while continuing to be dysfunctional, changing the dynamics so its addressed and corrected as you go.

Otherwise, email me and I'll send you the address of the annual Christmas Eve party for my parents and siblings and family. That should be a self explained example of a Dysfunctional family. Then the next day you can come to the Christmas Day open house that my immediate family (daughters and ex) give for friends who are family to us, and that will give you a good example of Functional Dysfunction.

Otherwise, Merry Merry!

Answer 7

I would say the dysfunctional aspect would be more along the lines of;
dead beat dads
alcoholism or drug use
physical, mental, verbal, sexual abuse
parent(s) in and out of jail

We grow up under the skills of others that struggled too, then pass that on to the next generation.
Even the experts don't give the best solutions to the problems.

Answer 8

There is no perfect person in this world today. The only one's who are perfect is Jesus, for he was a human. He was "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived". This is a Book that I read, which is a very good book. We were all born with sin, so everybody is "Dysfunctional" God Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

Everyone's family is disfunctional because we're all not perfect.........and that's the nature of life.....things are not always perfect, everything has a positive side and a negative side.


By the way I like your quote about kindness =)

Answer 10

In my opinion a disfunctional family is one that does not admit the problems or mistakes they make. They refuse to see any need for improvement in the way their family is functioning and so the mistakes and problems continue with no change. You cannot fix or learn from a mistake if you brush everything under the carpet and refuse to see any need for positive change.