Scapegoat

In scapegoating one thing is clear. The individual, group, or object that is deemed the scapegoat had been perceived as the cause of the troubling circumstances and has become the target of aggression. Scapegoating is the quintessential example of a ritual practice that magically shapes the natural world The scapegoa's sacrifice enables the group to live another day and indelibility makes the survivors a tighter-knit group.