Parental alienation in the context of family law refers to a situation where one parent (or sometimes another caregiver) engages in behaviours that undermine the child's relationship with the other parent. These behaviours can range from subtle to overt and may include: Negative speaking: One parent consistently speaks negatively about the other parent in front of the child, portraying them as bad, unloving, or dangerous. Limiting contact: Deliberately limiting or preventing the child from seeing or communicating with the other...
Dealing with Parental Alienation Parental alienation is the psychological manipulation of a child into showing unfounded fear, contempt or hostility towards a parent that is unjustified. Alienation is certainly a common counter-allegation when accusations of family violence and abuse are made in family law proceedings. The concept of alienation syndrome is quite controversial, and many argue that it does not exist. In fact, it is so divisive that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights launched...
As modern family structures have become increasingly complex in today’s society, so too has the threat of parental alienation. Parental alienation occurs when one parent influences the child against the other parent. This usually happens when both parties are seeing the children on a regular basis but are separated and no longer living together. Unfortunately, in most cases, this kind of emotional manipulation is unknown to both the child and the parent before it becomes a serious issue. How does...
