Parental Alienation

October 23, 2024

Manipulation and Exaggerated or False Information

Parental alienation occurs when a child refuses to have a relationship with a parent due to manipulation, such as the conveying of exaggerated or false information, by the other parent. This situation most often arises during a divorce or custody battle, but it can also happen in intact families. The breakdown of the relationship between a child and one of the child’s parents occurs without valid justification.

The perpetrator of parental alienation may employ various tactics:

The impact of parental alienation on a child can be profound:

Signs of parental alienation include:

In the legal system, parents can fight alienation in court, but rigorous proof is necessary. Courts may mandate reunification programs, where the child spends supervised time with the alienated parent to rebuild the relationship. Treatment may also address the child’s trauma. Many relationships fractured by parental alienation can heal with time.

Parental alienation is handled through civil proceedings and is not an arrestable offense. Some advocate for criminalization due to the lasting damage it inflicts, while others argue against it because parental alienation is difficult to prove and is not a diagnosable syndrome.


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