Basics Dysfunctional Behavior and Family Patterns By Kathryn Rudlin, LCSW linkedin Kathyrn Rudlin, LCSW, a writer and therapist in California specializes in counseling and education for teenagers with mothers who are emotionally disconnected. Learn about our editorial process Kathryn Rudlin, LCSW Fact checked by Fact checked by Sean Blackburn on May 06, 2020 linkedin Sean is a fact checker and researcher with experience in sociology and field research. Learn about our editorial process Sean Blackburn Updated on February 20, 2021 Print SolStock / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Examples Family Patterns The Effects on Children Family Therapy The term dysfunctional is defined as "abnormal or impaired functioning" on the part of an individual person, between people in any sort of relationship, or amongst members of a family. Poor functioning refers to both behavior and relationships that aren't working and have one or more negative, unhealthy aspects to them, such as poor communication or frequent conflict. This is a term used often by mental health professionals for interactions between people and is often used to describe any relationship in which there are significant problems or struggles. Dysfunctional relationships or situations are often the impetus for getting help in psychotherapy. Examples of Dysfunctional Behavior Many families develop dysfunctional aspects when trying to cope with a troubled teen, for example, because family members are forced to adapt to the teen's emotional or behavioral problems that impact them on a daily basis. Other examples of dysfunctional behavior include: A family in which a parent is drinking daily and family members are afraid to talk about what's happeningA teenage couple that deals with conflict by not speaking to each otherA teenager with a dual-diagnosis who uses drugs to deal with their symptoms rather than get treatment for the causeA troubled teen who expresses anger by hitting others Dysfunctional Family Patterns In dysfunctional families, a variety of patterns can occur. One sign of a dysfunctional family is when parents or teens abuse alcohol and/or drugs. If one or both parents have compulsive behaviors, such as gambling or overworking, this may lead to difficulties for the rest of the family. Violence is another factor in dysfunction that can occur when one or both parents threaten or actually carry out violence that may or may not involve the children. Parental neglect can also play a role, either emotional, physical, or financial. On the other end of the spectrum, overly controlling parents who treat the children as possessions and as if the children are only around for the parents' own personal needs or satisfaction are dysfunctional. If parents treat children as possessions to the point of not giving their children autonomy and exerting tight control over their lives, then it's not a healthy relationship. Many families have times when these patterns occur, but it is when they start to become the norm that dysfunction occurs. The Effects of Dysfunction on Children When dysfunctional patterns become the standard in a family, the detrimental effects on the children are significant and can be carried into their adult relationships. Some of the potentially damaging effects for children are: Actions of parents not matching their words, which causes a distorted realityFeeling like they have to be the adult in the situationHaving to take sides in a parental conflictParents that are either way too involved and overly protective or parents who are uninvolved and disinterestedPhysical abuseRejection or favoritismRidicule or being ignored when sharing thoughts or feelingsRigid controls on who their friends are and how they dress How Family Therapy Can Help If your family is experiencing dysfunction for any reason, seeking out family therapy may be a good option. Family therapy has been shown to be extremely effective in learning new ways to communicate, solving problems between family members, and becoming sources of support and strength for each other. The 9 Best Online Therapy Programs We've tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Szapocznik J, Schwartz SJ, Muir JA, Brown CH. Brief strategic family therapy: An intervention to reduce adolescent risk behavior. Couple Family Psychol. 2012;1(2):134-145. doi:10.1037/a0029002 Lander L, Howsare J, Byrne M. The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: from theory to practice. Soc Work Public Health. 2013;28(3-4):194‐205. doi:10.1080/19371918.2013.759005 Sukhodolsky DG, Smith SD, McCauley SA, Ibrahim K, Piasecka JB. Behavioral interventions for anger, irritability, and aggression in children and adolescents. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016;26(1):58‐64. doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0120 Lander L, Howsare J, Byrne M. The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: from theory to practice. Soc Work Public Health. 2013;28(3-4):194-205. doi:10.1080/19371918.2013.759005 Behere AP, Basnet P, Campbell P. Effects of family structure on mental health of children: A preliminary study. Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(4):457-463. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.211767 Platt R, Williams SR, Ginsburg GS. Stressful life events and child anxiety: Examining parent and child mediators. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2016;47(1):23-34. doi:10.1007/s10578-015-0540-4 Kumnig M, Höfer S, Huber A, et al. Patterns of dysfunctional parenting styles and psychological disturbances in offspring. Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2013;59(4):356-68 Jiménez L, Hidalgo V, Baena S, León A, Lorence B. Effectiveness of structural⁻strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7) doi:10.3390/ijerph16071255 Additional Reading Brown University. Dysfunctional family relationships. 2016.