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Genogram Close-Hostile Relationship Symbol
The Close-Hostile relationship symbol is shown as two parallel closeness lines with a red jagged zigzag running through them. Use it when two people remain emotionally connected but the connection is also marked by recurring conflict, tension, or volatility. This guide explains how to distinguish it from hostile and fused-hostile lines.
Close-Hostile Symbol Example in a Genogram
Close-Hostile Symbol Example in a Genogram
Teresa White and her husband, Darrel White, spend nearly every evening together and present as a close, devoted couple to the rest of the family.
But behind closed doors, both hold onto old grievances and turn hostile toward each other.
Teresa and Darrel sit in their existing structural position as a married couple, and the close-hostile line is added twice between them, once from Teresa to Darrel and once from Darrel to Teresa, showing the hostility runs both ways underneath the closeness.
Close-Hostile vs. Hostile vs. Fused-Hostile
- Hostile: red jagged line alone. Open antagonism, no closeness underneath it.
- Close-Hostile: Close's two parallel lines plus the hostile zigzag. High contact and real affection or loyalty, sitting alongside frequent conflict.
- Fused-Hostile: three parallel lines plus the hostile zigzag. Enmeshment with conflict, a step beyond close-hostile in intensity and boundary loss.
Close-hostile relationships stay in regular contact and often carry genuine affection or loyalty. The hostility doesn't cancel the closeness, both are true at the same time.
How to Add It in EasyGenogram
Select the relationship line, choose Close-Hostile, click the person directing the hostility first, then the person it's directed at.
Repeat in the opposite direction if the dynamic is mutual.
Close-Hostile Symbol Example in a Genogram
Explore this genogram and adapt it to your needs.
FAQ
What does the close-hostile symbol look like on a genogram?
Two parallel lines, the same notation used for Close, with a red jagged zigzag and a directional arrow running through them.
What's an example of a close-hostile relationship?
A couple who spend every evening together and look devoted in public, but hold onto old grievances and turn hostile toward each other in private.
Is the close-hostile genogram line directional?
Yes. The arrow shows who's directing the hostility and who it's aimed at, even while the closeness between them stays mutual. For a two-way dynamic, add the line twice, once per direction.
What's the difference between close-hostile and hostile genogram symbols?
Hostile marks open antagonism on its own. Close-Hostile marks that same antagonism alongside real closeness and regular contact, not just conflict in isolation.
What's the difference between close-hostile and fused-hostile genogram symbols?
Close-Hostile preserves separate individual identities despite the closeness. Fused-Hostile reflects enmeshment, a much thinner boundary between the two people, combined with conflict.