Parental alienation syndrome

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Parental Alienation Syndrome is a putative disorder proposed by Richard Gardner as "a disturbance in which children are obsessively preoccupied with depreciation and/or criticism of a parent. In other words, denigration that is unjustified and or exaggerated." Although Parental Alienation Syndrome has not gained official recognition as a psychological disorder, case law has recognized it in child custody disputes.

Contents 1 Forerunners 2 Gardner findings 3 Criticisms 4 See also 5 External links 6 Notes

[edit] Forerunners

Wallerstein and Kelly described a "Medea complex" with similar dynamics in the 1970s. Professionals who work with divorcing families sometimes described the process as brainwashing and recognized Gardner's description upon its first publication in 1985.^[1]

[edit] Gardner findings

In effect, these children are taught to hate the targeted parent to the point of wanting to eliminate them from their lives. Dr. Gardner considers this psychological abuse and it is the only form of psychological abuse that has clear-cut unmistakable signs and symptoms, therefore the only psychological abuse that can be easily diagnosed.

What Dr. Gardner found in his research is that no matter the financial or cultural background, alienation of one parent from the other could occur. PAS can be further described as a form of psychological kidnapping where the child's mind has been forced to prejudicially believe and discriminate against the target parent. This happens by creating fear, not of the targeted parent, but of the alienating parent whom the child resides with. Also called the Stockholm Syndrome, it can best be compared to the kidnapping of Patti Hearst.

Alan Kemp (Kemp. p. 36) further describes the categories that make up PAS: Rejecting (spurning), terrorizing, corrupting, denying essential stimulation, emotional responsiveness or availability, unreliable and inconsistent parenting, mental health, medical or educational neglect, degrating/devaluating the other parent, isolating, and exploiting the child. By deliberately alienating the victims from other family members and social supports, isolation occurs. The alienator then uses threats or denigrating tactics to force victims to comply with their requests (terrorizing). Essentially, in PAS, the children are used to destroy the targeted parent as a means of revenge and domestic violence. The alienating parent refuses to comply with court orders, tells the children they do not have to either, and to ignore the authority of the targeted parent. The idea is the alienating parent has a goal of destroying the targeted parent by using the children as weapons or pawns. The alienating parent uses the children to verbally terrorize their other parent, to isolate the other parent, to accuse the other parent and to take away the financial or earning capabilities of the other parent by continual harassments such as false accusations of abuse, further ignoring of court orders to bring about more custody changes and eventual destruction of the targeted parent through emotional/financial/physical collapse wherein the alienated parent goes to court in a custody fight to appear to be the better parent for custody of the children.

PAS occurs as a result of cross-generational coalitions, enmeshed relationships, triangles, borderless boundary families and is child psychological maltreatment as recognized by the DSM under Cluster B Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder. The alienating parent without regard to the needs of the children continually violates the rights, needs and court orders from the other parent. The alienating parent willingly and callously puts their own needs and desires above that of everyone else, including their own children, to fulfill their compulsion to destroy the other parent.

Gardener, R.A., March (2000) Addendum to Parental Alienation Syndrome (2nd Edition). Creative therapeutics, Creskill, NJ http://www.fact.on.ca/Info/pas/gard00b.htm.

[edit] Criticisms

Dr. Gardner has expressed concern about misapplication of the concept. According to his formulation, parental alienation syndrome describes a dysfunctional dynamic in which one parent brainwashes a child into rejecting the other parent and does not apply to situations in which a neglectful or abusive parent provokes actual rejection. In 1998 Gardner writes:

Unfortunately, the term parental alienation syndrome is often used to refer to the animosity that a child may harbor against a parent who has actually abused the child, especially over an extended period. The term has been used to apply to the major categories of parental abuse, namely, physical, sexual, and emotional. Such application indicates a misunderstanding of the parental alienation syndrome. The term is applicable only when the parent has not exhibited anything close to the degree of alienating behavior that might warrant the campaign of denigration exhibited by the child.^[2]

Divorcing parents who abuse or manipulate their children may likewise attempt to misuse the concept of parental alienation syndrome. According to Dr. Kenneth Byrne, a clinical and forensic psychologist, inadequate professional evaluation and poor clinical practice can lead to inappropriate custody decisions, particularly in instances where the clinician uncritically accepts one parent's claims. "(Parental alienation syndrome) can easily be misdiagnosed by professionals who have not educated themselves about these situations, and misguided efforts at helping can worsen an already bad situation."^[3].

A misdiagnosis of Parental Alienation Syndrome would lead to terrible consequences: Ignoring the legitimate fears of a child. A child that actually feared an abusive parent would be forced to see them, or have custody with them, because the court has diagnosed that legitimate fear as Parental Alienation Syndrome.

Gardner's formulation itself has received criticism. According to Kenneth H. Waldron, Ph. D. and David E. Joanis, J.D., "Gardner's conceptualization of the problem and the dynamics underlying the problem proved at best incomplete, if not simplistic and erroneous. He portrays the alienating parent as virtually solely responsible for the dynamic, turning the vulnerable child against the innocent target parent."^[4]

[edit] See also

• Child abuse
• Emotional abuse

[edit] External links

• Articles in Peer-Review Journals and Published Books (through 2003)

[edit] Notes