Abstract
This article describes shunning as a form of psychological violence similar to teasing or excluding. Bowlby's (1973) work on shunning is integrated with structural ego-state theory using Erskine's (1994) work on shame and self-righteousness and Clark's (1995) concept of disavowal to describe the development of a shunning Child ego state. A five-stage process of clinical treatment is suggested to help clients reestablish “I'm OK, You're OK” relationships, and the wider social context of shunning behavior is briefly considered.