A dysfunctional family is a group of people usually related by some means, not always necessarily by blood, in which conflict, misbehavior, abuse and neglect 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 family; their characteristics and behaviors. A few examples will help us to better explore this question, leading us to discuss the different factors that contribute to the formation of such families, as well as their consequences in today's society. According to the Dictionary of Contemporary English, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, consisting of a father, a mother and children. On the other hand, its etymology recognizes that the Roman Empire was the first to define a Family. Ironically, the Romans defined it as a group of people related, not necessarily by blood or affection. On the contrary, the main bond that united ancient Roman families was work. According to EJ Graff in context “What makes a family? She describes that ancient families in Europe were mainly created at will, for the sole purpose of improving labor productivity and that patriarchs adopted adults into their families for better investment. It was not the choice of biology that made a family. These families would consist of legitimate children, adopted adults, secretaries, other dependents, and slaves of varying ages. “The Romans rarely used it to refer to family in the sense of kinship,” writes Roman family historian Suzane Dixon. Obviously, the word family can have different definitions, depending on the geographical era and the era. However, members of families, biological or chosen, throughout history have been...... middle of paper ......h Services Administration - Home Page. November 22, 2010, “Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.” Administration for Children and Families home page. November 20, 2010. Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. “What makes a family?” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Ages 26 and up. Crawford, Christina. Mom dear. 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: Reflections on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown, 2006. 331