A dysfunctional family is a group of people usually related in some way, not always necessarily by blood, in which conflict, misbehavior, abuse, and abandonment create a hostile life for its members. To better explain this idea we will see the definition of family, the differences between a healthy family and a dysfunctional one; their characteristics and behavioral patterns. Some examples will help us examine the issue better, leading us to discuss the different factors that contribute to the formation of such families, along with its consequences in today's society. According to the Dictionary of Contemporary English, a family is a group of people related by blood, consisting of a father, a mother and children. On the other hand, its etymology recognizes the Roman Empire as the first to define a Family. Ironically, the Romans defined it as a group of people related, not necessarily by blood or affection. Instead, the main bond that united ancient Roman families was work. According to EJ Graff in his context "What makes a family?" He describes that ancient families in Europe were created mostly at will, with the sole purpose of improving labor productivity, and that patriarchs adopted adults into their families for better investment. Choice, not biology, made a family. These families would consist of legitimate children, adopted adults, secretaries, other dependents, and slaves of various ages. “The Romans rarely used it to mean family in the sense of kinship,” writes Roman family historian Suzane Dixon. Evidently the word family can have different definitions, depending on the geographical era and time. However, members of families, both biological and chosen, throughout history have been... middle of paper... h Services Administration - Homepage. November 22, 2010 "Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act." Home Page Administration for Children and Families. November 20, 2010.Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. “What constitutes a family?” Rereading America: Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. 26+.Crawford, Christina. Dearest mother. New York: W. Morrow, 1978. “Family.” Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Harlow: Pearson/Longman, 2009. Fortinash, Katherine M., and Patricia A. Holoday-Worret. “Parental dysfunction.” Psychiatric mental health nursing. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier, 2008. 297+.Obama, Barack. "Family." The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Recovering the American Dream. New York: Corona, 2006. 331