Parental Alienation Tactics – What are Obstacles to Recognizing Parental Alienation Tactics

Well, who needs to know about parental alienation tactics? As a parent or lawyer, you may have come across the term “parental alienation tactics” but not fully understand what it is. Parental alienation is an issue that often arises in family court proceedings, and can have a devastating effect on the child’s mental health and wellbeing. It involves one parent attempting to manipulate their child into believing the other parent doesn’t love them – either through outright negative comments about their character or simply by excluding them from important facets of their life. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss exactly what parental alienation tactics are, how they can involve insidious forms of abuse, and most importantly, how to identify and protect against them.

A Checklist of Parental Alienation Tactics

In the court case Fielding v. Fielding, 2013 ONSC 5102, the mother claimed that the father was indoctrinating their two children to be hostile toward her. In court, an expert witness submitted 17 alienating methods that they alleged the parent used, and those strategies are listed in the parental alienation tactics checklist below.

This checklist for parental alienation tactics has become standard in the business and contains the following items:

1. Discussions that take place behind the other parent’s back
2. Restricting the amount of contact an alienated parent is allowed to have with their child
3. Interfering with communication is accomplished in two ways: either by not allowing the parent to talk with the child or by making up excuses for why the child can’t have visitation.
4. It is inappropriate for the custodial parent to place restrictions on the number of images of the alienated parent that are permitted or on the frequency with which the subject of the alienation is discussed.
5. removing attention from the child or acting irrationally toward the child
6. A child is coerced into choosing one of their parents.
7. A statement made by one parent that the other parent does not love the child.
8. Intentionally creating the appearance that the other parent is a danger to the child
9. Disclosure of private adult information and specifics of the proceeding to the child
10. putting the child in a position where they have no choice but to reject the parent who has alienated them.
11. Asking the child to keep an eye on the parent from whom they are alienated.
12. Advising a child to keep a secret from a parent who has estranged themselves from the family.
13. Requesting that the child address the alienated parent by their first name, as opposed to Mom or Dad, is one strategy for regaining a child’s respect.
14. Step-parenting behaviors include encouraging the child to refer to the new adult in their life as “Mom” or “Dad” and also referring to the step-new parent’s spouse in front of the child as “Mom” or “Dad.”
15. Removing the parent’s name from the kid’s records and denying access to the parent who is estranged from the child for the purpose of obtaining medical, social, academic, or other information on the child.
16. The practice of changing a child’s name in order to disassociate them from an abusive or absent parent
17. Increasing self-sufficiency while simultaneously undermining the authority of the alienating parent

Some courts have implemented a checklist to assist in the identification of instances of parental misconduct that place a child’s relationship with one of their parents in jeopardy. This could be proof of parental alienation tactics, which is a very serious issue that the court takes very seriously.

And if you want to know about parental alienation against mother, explore what exactly parental alienation against mother involves and how best to tackle such situations if they arise.

Obstacles to Recognizing Parental Alienation Tactics

Detecting parental alienation tactics in a household is fraught with difficulties. The alienating parent’s counsel frequently believes that his or her client will object to the utilization of a psychological evaluation. The rejected parent’s attorney believes his or her client and does not even explore the notion that he or she has actual problems—and so it is not alienation. The guardian ad litem (GAL) believes the child because the child’s comments are forceful and convincing, and does not examine the likelihood of parental alienation lurking and functioning behind the scenes.

Many attorneys and judges are unfamiliar with the subject of parental alienation. Some reject its existence because it is not a DSM-5 diagnostic. Others turn a blind eye because it is difficult to establish in court. Others argue that parental alienation is overstated and exaggerated as a significant issue.

Parental alienation is a serious problem for parents and their children that can cause deep distress, disruption of relationships, increased anxiety, depression and other psychological issues, let’s check the information of how to stop parental alienation.

That’s all there is to know about parental alienation tactics; let’s finish with a quick FAQs section.

FAQs

What are judges’ perspectives on parental alienation?

In cases involving parental alienation, the reasons behind a child’s adverse actions toward a parent are very crucial to the court. The alienator’s acts may be inspired by past experiences, or they may be unreasonable. In this case, the evidence cited becomes significant.

What is the definition of narcissistic parental alienation?

When one parent coercively tries to alienate their child from an otherwise loving parent, this is known as narcissistic parental alienation syndrome (PAS). This deception causes the child to detest or reject the alienated parent.

Is parental alienation ever resolved?

Unfortunately, parental alienation is typically irreversible. Early discovery and control of the alienating parents’ behavior are critical to the illness’s successful treatment. If you observe any signs of parental alienation tactics, you should immediately contact your divorce attorney and a seasoned psychologist.

Conclusion

Most people would agree that it is morally wrong to alienate a child from their parents. Unfortunately, many individuals are not aware of the signs and symptoms of parental alienation tactics. This lack of awareness creates obstacles to recognizing these immoral acts. In order to protect our children, it is important that we educate ourselves on the issue of parental alienation so that we can identify and put a stop to it when we see it happening. Let’s join hands in condemning these despicable actions and work together to keep our children safe.