Points of discussion
- Introducation to parental alienating behaviors
- Parental alienation and parental alienating behaviors (PAB)
- Family court and PAB
- Statistics of PAB
- Advocacy groups and PAB
- PAB and parent-child relationships
- In essence...
Introduction
Researchers have attempted multiple definitions to describe the concept of parental alienation (Lorandos, 2020; Milchman et al., 2020; Sîrbu et al., 2020).
Terminology
The term “parental alienation,” was developed in 1985 by Richard Gardner, who identified the behaviors of one parent brainwashing their child or denigrating the other parent to their child which he observed when working with parents involved in family court matters.
That said, the concept has existed for quite some time, as demonstrated in two books discussing similar behaviors: Character Analysis (Reich, 1949) and Children of Divorce (Despert, 1953).
Parental alienating behaviors (PAB)
In their 2012 book, Fidler et al., related that researcher Dr. Janet Johnston had suggested using the term “parental alienating behaviors” (PAB), which emphasizes the actions of a parent toward their co-parent (Fidler et al., 2012) as “false, malicious, or unjustified negative communication” meant to harm the child’s relationship with the co-parent, including discouraging the child from spending time with them.
Harman et al. (2018) describe parental alienating behaviors as a psychological condition in which the child aligns with one parent and rejects the other without justification.
Expanding the terminology for child's behavior
In turn, the child’s behavior is described as “visitation resistance and rejection” (Fidler et al., 2012, pg. 33).
Controversy with the term "parental alienation"
Notably, the use of the term “parental alienation” is controversial (Kline Pruett et al., 2023; Warshak, 2020) due to what is seen by family law professionals as problems with consistency and specificity.
This has led to its lack of acceptance among practitioners (Johnston & Sullivan, 2020), and a shift to the term “parental alienating behaviors.”
Definition of parental alienating behaviors
Parental alienating behaviors influence the child’s perception of one parent over time (Harman et al., 2022), with potential long-term implications on parent-child relationships (Tavares et al., 2021a).
Parental alienating behaviors include any behavior a parent may engage in that limits or affects parenting time, like restricting verbal or symbolic communication, and/or parental tactics that negatively affect the relationship between the child and the other parent (Saini et al., 2016).
May involve both parents
One or both parents may engage in parental alienating behaviors (Balmer et al., 2018), attempting to negatively affect or even destroy the child’s bond with the other parent.
Impact on the child
Numerous studies have explored family court matters and the impact of parental alienating behaviors on children, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, low self-esteem (Baker, 2010), and increased behavioral problems (Johnston et al., 2005; Lamela & Figueiredo, 2016).
In an earlier article, Hands and Warshak (2011) found that 29 percent of children with divorced parents reported experiencing alienating behaviors from at least one parent.
Statistically...
It is estimated that 11 to 15% of cases involve parental alienating behaviors (Jaffe et al., 2017).
However, Harman et al. (2018) posit that in many cases, laws that allow both parents to share parenting time equally may help balance the power in parenting relationships, providing a buffer against parental alienating behaviors.
And....
Little research has been conducted on the effects of parental alienating behaviors on the parent-child relationship within the context of family court rulings.
Advocacy Groups and Parental Alienating Behaviors
Advocates for abused women and children often emphasize the rights and safety of mothers to protect themselves and their child(ren) during family court matters, particularly in cases of DV and IPV.
Parents and children who are victims of abuse and children who witness DV (Johnston & Sullivan, 2020) and IPV may be at risk for long-term mental health and physical health issues (Deutsch et al., 2020; Neilson, 2018b; Stark et al., 2019).
Intimate partner violence and child abuse are not uncommon concerns during family court matters (Mahrer et al., 2018; Nielsen, 2017).
Advocates for mothers and children
Advocates for mothers and children stress that safety issues should be at the center of family court decisions about the amount of time a child spends with each parent (Eilers, 2019; Johnston & Sullivan, 2020).
Further, advocates often view perceived parental alienating behaviors as a reaction to traumatic experiences (Eilers, 2019; Mahrer et al., 2018) and can be part of a parent’s efforts to protect themselves and their children (Eilers, 2019; Stark et al., 2019).
Fathers' rights and shared parenting organizations
On the other hand, fathers’ rights and shared parenting organizations say that some parents may feel alienated from their children and the co-parent.
There are also concerns that fathers are losing their traditional role as family protectors (Eilers, 2019; Stark et al., 2019), stress the importance of addressing parental alienating behaviors (Lee-Maturana et al., 2020), which can affect the co-parent and the child individually or jointly (Gottlieb, 2012; Siracusano et al., 2015).
Intimate partner violence alienating behaviors
Harman, Kruk, and Hines (2018) discuss the detrimental effects of IPV on co-parenting. In some cases, the co-parent may feel they need to tolerate the alienating behaviors directed at them by the other parent.
Lehr and MacMillan (2001) posit that a parent may fear losing already-limited time with their children and thus will accept abusive behavior from their co-parent.
Smith (2016) suggests that one parent may attempt to gain parenting time or spread unfavorable information about their co-parent to negatively affect the child’s relationship with the other parent rather than out of genuine concern for the child.
Child is also a victim
However, in reality, both the parent and the child may be considered victims in the parental alienation process (Scharp et al., 2021).
Parent-child relationships
Parent-child relationships play a vital role in shaping a child’s subsequent personal and social development, which is further linked to their mental and physical health (D’Onofrio & Emery, 2019; Moges & Weber, 2014; Parkinson et al., 2010; Sroufe, 2002).
In most cases, parenting plans are agreed upon amicably, and the benefit to children of having access to both parents is shown to have long-term benefits for the child (Bergström et al., 2018; Lamela & Figueiredo, 2016; Nielsen, 2014).
Leading PAB expert Dr. Richard Warshak (2013) summarizes his view addressing parenting agreements:
The majority of children want contact with both parents on a regular basis, and the most common preference among children, and among adults looking back on their parents’ divorce, is for parenting plans that more evenly balance their time between homes (What is Parental Alienation section, para. 2).
The statement highlights the potential benefit of advocating for equal parenting in custody matters.
Implications on the child
Research shows that parent-child relationships have long-term implications for the child’s intrapersonal development, interpersonal relationships, and social skills (D’Onofrio & Emery, 2019).
Some literature indicates that children often both need and want to have a relationship with both parents, even extending beyond court-ordered parenting arrangements (Adams, 2016).
Indicating...
From that perspective, as long as the well-being of both parent and child is not at risk, some literature suggests that 50-50 parenting time can promote higher levels of emotional security (Fabricius et al., 2012).
For example...
Nielsen (2018) found that positive benefits for the child are seen even with a minimum 35% parenting arrangement in family court matters.
However, in high-conflict family court situations, the association between the well-being of children and parents and the parenting plan arrangement can be less straightforward. In those cases, additional consideration should be given to determine whether ongoing contact with both parents is beneficial.
In essence...
Both advocates for mothers and children and advocates for fathers and shared parenting are attempting to interpret parenting arrangements sensitively to the child’s needs.
Recognizing the need to protect the child and identify the presence of emotional or physical abuse (Ebling, 2009; Harman et al., 2018; Lamela & Figueiredo, 2016) or trauma (Deutsch et al., 2020) must remain at the forefront of decisions made about parenting arrangements.
