The story of Oedipus has proved of enduring fascination and has been the subject of many interpretations. It is reviewed here as a graphic and helpful illustration of the dilemma and accommodation of the abused child, together with the unhappy consequences we see all too often in our clinical practice. Freud's `Oedipus complex' can be seen as describing the child's difficulty in coming to terms with triangular relationships. This paper aims to provide a family perspective on the Oedipal situation, and show that the move from exclusive dyadic relationships to triangular family systems is a challenge to parents as well as children. Their failure to negotiate this transition represents a profound family dysfunction that can lead to mistreatment of the child, including frank child abuse. A case example is presented to illustrate this problem in contemporary clinical practice, and to consider the challenges we face in our attempts to intervene.
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