someone punished for the errors of others

a way of describing someone who takes punishment rightly due to someone else

A whipping boy, in feudal times, was a boy of the same age but lower rank raised with a prince or nobleman as a playmate, who was whipped in his place when the young nobleman -- too high in standing to be beaten by anyone below his father, who was often unavailable -- misbehaved or slacked in his studies, as a psychological 'indirect punishment'.

Whipping Boy were an influential Irish rock music band who were active in the 80s and 90s.

Whipping Boy is the third (and to date, last) studio album from the Irish band Whipping Boy. It was released on April 28, 2002 on Low Rent Records.