Parent Alienation Syndrome

Tomorrow is Parental Alienation Awareness Day . Some of you may not be aware of what Parental Alienation is so I've included a short, forty-second video at the end of this post. Parental Alienation, or Hostel Aggressive Parenting as it's also referred to, is a form of child abuse where a child's relationship with another parent is intentionally interfered with. It's very slippery and can range from mild to extreme, although any amount is damaging to the child. For early readers of the Lunchbox, you know my situation and have read my earlier posts concerning parental alienation and my sons . For a while ... Read Full Story

This Saturday (April 25th) is Parental Alienation Awareness Day. Parental Alienation is a process whereby one parent (and his or her relatives and other allies) by his or her actions or communications undermines the love, affection, and relationship between their children and the targeted spouse. The process can occur during a disintegrating relationship, during a divorce, and after the divorce has concluded. The actions and words can be overt or subtle. The results can range from mild to extreme alienation (wherein the alienated children want nothing to do with the targeted parent and will strongly resist contact with the alienated parent). In such cases, ... Read Full Story

Amy J. L. Baker, Ph.D Researcher and author of Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Breaking the Ties that Bind W.W. Norton, April 2007 What happens to children who are manipulated by one parent to turn against the other parent? Do these children ever figure it out and reconcile with their “lost” parent? “Adult children of parent alienation syndrome” presents the answers to these questions based on research interviews with 40 adults who were alienated from a parent as a child. Dr. Baker is a nationally recognized expert in parent child relationships, especially children of divorce, parental alienation syndrome, and emotional abuse of children. ... Read Full Story

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) has only recently been recognized in the literature as a phenomenon occurring with sufficient frequency and with particular defining characteristics as to warrant recognition. Today, PAS is attracting the attention of clinicians, researchers, social service agencies, parent groups and the legal community. As well, it is an issue that has fuelled considerable debate with respect to the validity of its existence. In spite of the divisiveness that has evolved around this topic, one issue that few will debate is the fact that too many children are caught in a “tug of war” between their separated parents. Parental alienation syndrome has ... Read Full Story

By Joan Dawson In the past few decades, a term called Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) or Parental Alienation (PA) has been used in family courts to describe a situation where one parent poisons the mind of the child against the other parent. While it is true that some mothers (and fathers) intentionally bad-mouth their spouses or partners, several reasons can explain why the child fears or distances him or herself from a parent. It has long been recognized that children experiencing divorce can exhibit aggressive behavior or depression. Children can react angrily to their parent’s separation and may even be reacting to the conflict ... Read Full Story