What is parental alienation?

It is not uncommon for former partners to have issues in dealing with each other. There is a reason the couple is no longer together and unfortunately; a lot of those issues rear their ugly head when it comes to custody issues and co-parenting. So, when do poor co-parenting habits cross the line?

Definition of parental alienation.

Parental alienation is a strategy whereby one parent intentionally displays to the child unjustified negativity aimed at the other parent. The purpose of this strategy is to damage the child’s relationship with the other parent and to turn the child’s emotions against the other parent.  The reality is that parental alienation is a form of emotional child abuse and should be taken seriously.

What are descriptors of parental alienation?

When there is an accusation of parental alienation, a custody evaluator is brought in to investigate the claims. The evaluator can look for several descriptors, like the child showing a deep seeded hate for the targeted parent, the child repeats a lot of the negativity towards the targeted parent that the co-parent has been saying, the child’s beliefs can become delusional and irrational, the child’s reasonings come from hearsay and not first-hand experiences, the child feels no guilt for treating the targeted parent poorly, and many more.

How do the courts respond to parental alienation?

Depending on what state you reside in, courts handle parental alienation in several ways. Some states view parental alienation as a criminal offense. These offenses can result in jail time and/or fines. All states make emotional child abuse a criminal offense and some extreme cases of parental alienation may warrant these charges. All courts can impose contempt-of-court orders against a parent that endangers a child’s relationship with their other parent. Civil charges can lead to fines and potentially a short amount of time in jail. All courts also have initial custody jurisdiction and can modify previous custody orders. In cases of parental alienation, the courts have denied custody, altered visitation schedules, and established supervised visitation. And finally, the new era of family law attempts to “fix-the-problem” via therapeutic orders. 

While divorces and custody are complicated matters, the best interest of your child should always be the top priority. 

(1) https://www.ncsc.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/42152/parental_alienation_Lewis.pdf