What is a Dysfunctional Family?

American Heritage Dictionary defines dysfunction as "abnormal or impaired functioning, especially of a bodily system or social group". Over the last couple of decades, the term dysfunction has oftentimes been affiliated with families. It is used to describe a broken family, one that is not functioning in what is considered a normal capacity. Is this a new phenomenon or have dysfunctional families always been a part of society?

To determine what is dysfunctional, one has to first look at what is normal for that society. In history some things that were viewed as normal would be considered abnormal or dysfunctional in our society today. One example would be that of siblings marrying. Although this would be unacceptable today, it was perfectly acceptable many centuries ago. Thus, one cannot label families as dysfunctional when they are in a society in which their actions are acceptable.

Nonetheless, even using the standards of their own society, one can conclude that there were many dysfunctional families in history.

King David's Family - As recorded in the bible, Amnon the son of King David, raped his half sister Tamar. The scriptures state that Tamar begged Amnon not to "do this wicked thing". Later Tamar's full brother Absalom would have Amnon killed in retaliation.

Henry VIII, King of England - Per historical records, King Henry VIII was married six times. The king's inability or unwillingness to stay committed to one wife was unacceptable to the Catholic Church. Thus, King Henry used trickery and even murder to annul his marriages in order be free to marry another.

Howard Hughes - Film Producer/Director Howard Hughes was known for his strange and odd behaviors. Later in life, this mental illness would worsen. Documentaries and biographies about Hughes attribute the illness to his childhood as it is believed that his mother suffered from the same disorder.

The Kennedy's - The Kennedy family has been looked at as somewhat of a royal family in America. Despite all of their good attributes, even America's most loved family could be viewed as dysfunctional. There are rumors of alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity and even speculations of acts of murder.

One cannot talk about dysfunctional families without mentioning Hollywood. In fact, many documentaries and movies have been made about famous dysfunctional families. There is Mommie Dearest (a story about Joan Crawford), The Jackson's: An American Dream (the story of the famous Jackson family) and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (a movie about the dysfunctional life of comedian Richard Pryor).

There may be an increase in the awareness and knowledge of dysfunctional families, but clearly this is not a new phenomenon. Truthfully, in order to measure whether a family is dysfunctional, one would have to compare it to a normal one. The challenge is not in finding a dysfunctional (abnormal) family, but the challenge is in finding a functional (normal) one.