Anger, guilt, grief, disconnection, and low self-esteem.
Parental alienation is a form of child abuse that we are only beginning to recognize. Technically speaking, it's when a child aligns with one parent and rejects its other parent for reasons that are not warranted.
There are several behaviors that are typical of alienated children, including demonizing the rejected parent, resisting or refusing to spend time or communicate with the alienated parent, idealizing the favored parent, and attempting to get third parties to believe that the alienated party is wholly bad.
To stop parental alienation, work to maintain a positive, loving relationship with the child so that the child feels safe with you. Consider speaking with the other parent about behaviors you've noticed. If the alienation continues, consider parenting classes, therapy, and going to the Court for help.
The effect of alienation is dramatic on children. Children become overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and confused. These children often develop an unhealthy sense of entitlement that leads to social alienation and behavior problems.
Parental alienation syndrome is a psychological condition that a child suffers when one parent takes steps toward destroying the other parent's relationship with their child. The alienating parent manipulates the child's point of view about the other parent through deceptive tactics.
A child who has been alienated against a parent, feels guilt and shame for having been made to take part in acts of hatred against a loved parent, so much so that the feelings impact in a physical as well as emotional, mental and psychological way.
Children can become alienated from a parent for a variety of reasons, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, parental abandonment, adult alcoholism, narcissism, and other reasons.
In most cases, parental alienation backfires, with the child struggling with feelings of loss and resentment towards both parents. Removing the other parent from their life causes the child to feel isolated and neglected, instilling feelings of insecurity.
Darnell (1) has described three types of alienators: The naïve alienator, the active alienator, and the obsessed alienator.
Although there are no guarantees, many professionals believe and have seen many alienated children return. Some are helped to return by therapists, assisted by court orders, and others may need to be deprogrammed.
If parental alienation does occur, it is usually between the ages of 9 to 18 years, and the father is more often than not the rejected parent. The following are some examples of typical behaviors of a child experiencing parental alienation.
Parental alienation (PA) profoundly affects both children and alienated parents. Children of PA are at increased risk for future trust and relationship issues, depression, and substance abuse. For a rejected parent, the pain is excruciating.
Parental alienation has been defined by some as a serious mental condition in children exposed to parental alienating behaviours [1,2].
Parental alienation is a set of strategies that a parent uses to foster a child's rejection of the other parent. Parental alienation syndrome develops in children who come to hate, fear, and reject the targeted parent as someone unworthy of having a relationship with them.
Can the alienation of children be reversed? As children get older, the alienation can be reversed with proper psychological care. However, it won't work if the alienating parent is not contained.
The severe effects of parental alienation on children are well-documented—low self-esteem and self-hatred, lack of trust, depression, and substance abuse and other forms of addiction are widespread, as children lose the capacity to give and accept love from a parent.
Parental alienation does not protect a child's interests—it places them in peril. When a parent's behavior threatens not only your well-being, but also your child's, it is worth doing everything in your power to fight back. If your ex is engaging in such tactics, you should explore every legal option at your disposal.
They can also include spurning, terrorising, isolating, corrupting or exploiting, and not responding appropriately to the child's emotional needs. These tactics can foster a false belief that the parent who has been subject to the alienating behaviour is dangerous or unworthy.