Parental Alienation Syndrome Suffered By 1 Out Of 4 Children Involved In A Divorce
Parental Alienation Syndrome Suffered By 1 Out Of 4 Children Involved In A Divorce
One out of four children involved in a divorce and custody litigation undergoes the so-called Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), consisting of the manipulation of children by the custodial parent, who incessantly tries to turn them against the other parent by arousing in them feelings of hatred and contempt for the target parent, as explained in the book Marital Conflicts, Divorce, and Children’s Development (Conflictos matrimoniales, divorcio y desarrollo de los hijos, edited by Piramide), by professors Jose Canton Duarte, Ma Rosario Cortes Arboleda, and Ma Dolores Justicia Diaz, from the Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology of the University of Granada
In the 1980’s, PAS was defined by scientist Richard Gardner of Columbia University. Men are usually the target parent, since in most cases the mother has custody of the child.
According to Mª Rosario Cortés, “the so-called alienating parent is the one who has custody and uses it to brainwash the child, turning him or her against the alienated parent”. In most cases, the process is very subtle the custodial parent stating such things as “if I just told you some more things about your father/mother…”, or by making the child feel sorry for “abandoning” every time he or she visits the alienated parent.
As pointed out by the group of researchers of the University of Granada, there are many other factors which influence PAS apart from the unacceptable attitude of the custodial parent, such as children’s psychological vulnerability, the character and behaviour of parents, dynamics among brothers, or the existing conflicts between the two divorced parents. Very often children not only reject their father, but also his family and close friends. Grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and the new partner of the non-custodial parent are also affected by this syndrome, and children undergoing PAS can even “expel them from their life.”
Symptoms
Among other symptoms, Professor Cortés points out that children tend to find continual justifications for the alienating parent’s attitude. They denigrate the target parent, relate negative feelings unambivalently towards that parent, deny being influenced by anyone (pleading responsibility for their attitude), feel no guilt for denigrating the alienated parent, or recount events which were not experienced but rather came from listening to others.
The authors of Marital Conflicts, Divorce, and Children’s Development, state that PAS is more frequent among children aged 9 to 12 than among teenagers, and that there are no relevant gender differences in PAS.
According to Mª Rosario Cortés, the Parental Alienation Syndrome occurs most frequently in cases where parents are involved in divorce litigation, while it is not usual when the decision to seek divorce is mutual. The professor of the UGR underlines that in every case of SAP, “the family must be provided with a family-mediation programme for equal treatment of all members affected by this problem, which is increasingly more frequent.”
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94733.php
Thank you for speaking out for the children and parents who are targeted by the other parent. It seems the only voices opposing PA are those shrill voices who accuse men as molesters, child abusers, et. al. who themselves were caught in their lies.
Mark
Chrissy! Thank you for this site. This is important work as this form of child/adult abuse goes neglected by those who could effect change.
Well, assuming that this only happens with the custodial parent against the noncustodial parent is beyond narrow and naive. This study must have taken place with one couple? Trust me, some noncustodial parents have a vendetta and never give it up while the custodial parent tries to stay on the high road and do what’s best for the child, even with regards to the ex.
What about when other family members try to alienate the child from his mother. My soon to be x lives with his sister and mother who never liked me. When my child comes home from spending a weekend with the father and them, he says many disturbing things that I know for a fact is not something be would have thought on his own as an 8 year old child.