Denise E King, www.ErinaLegal.com Presentation to Central Coast Family Relationship Centre Thursday 30 th July

What is Parental Alienation and Parental Alienation Syndrome The effects of Parental Alienation on children Why it’s hard to identify Further resources Picture CC on Flickr Pfau's photostream

What is Parental Alienation and Parental Alienation Syndrome

The effects of Parental Alienation on children

Why it’s hard to identify

Further resources

“ Practices by a separating parent of disrupting and denigrating a child’s relationship with the other parent to give expression to their own hostility towards the other parent” Dr Elspeth McInnes, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood, University of South Australia, 2003

“ Practices by a separating parent of disrupting and denigrating a child’s relationship with the other parent to give expression to their own hostility towards the other parent”

“ Alienation can be viewed as a disorder of created reality which refers to a situation in which a person’s own autonomous sense of reality testing and reality appreciation are devalued and overwhelmed and replaced by a different irrational reality concerning the rejected non-custodial parent” LF Lowenstein Director Allington Manor Psychological Services., UK 2005

“ Alienation can be viewed as a disorder of created reality which refers to a situation in which a person’s own autonomous sense of reality testing and reality appreciation are devalued and overwhelmed and replaced by a different irrational reality concerning the rejected non-custodial parent”

What is a syndrome Arguments for and against

What is a syndrome

Arguments for and against

(sĭn'drōm') n. A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition. A complex of symptoms indicating the existence of an undesirable condition or quality. - The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Carolyn Quadrio, School of Psychiatry, UNSW

(sĭn'drōm') n. A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition. A complex of symptoms indicating the existence of an undesirable condition or quality. - The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Carolyn Quadrio,

School of Psychiatry, UNSW

FOR AGAINST A recognized group of symptoms occurring together Analogous to ‘ False memory syndrome’ CAAS (Child Abuse Accommodation Syndrome) Stockholm Syndrome Alienating Parent likely to have a personality disorder Abuse needs to be proven or not proven then symptoms attributed Difficult to separate the facts from opinions PAS not proven objectively or scientifically PAS not included in DSM More research required

FOR

AGAINST

A recognized group of symptoms occurring together

Analogous to

‘ False memory syndrome’

CAAS (Child Abuse Accommodation Syndrome)

Stockholm Syndrome

Alienating Parent likely to have a personality disorder

Abuse needs to be proven or not proven then symptoms attributed

Difficult to separate the facts from opinions

PAS not proven objectively or scientifically

PAS not included in DSM

More research required

PARENTAL ALIENATION PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME (Verb) Accepted as existing It is a process of alienating a child from a parent (Noun) Existence is disputed It is a disorder that a parent has (if it exists)

PARENTAL ALIENATION

PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME

(Verb)

Accepted as existing

It is a process of alienating a child from a parent

(Noun)

Existence is disputed

It is a disorder that a parent has (if it exists)

Malicious Conscious Unconscious

Affect Van Rooyen & Mahendra (2007) Lowenstein (2005) Bowling (2005) Kapinus (2004) Repetti Roesch Wood (2004) McInnes (2003) Strang (1996) Emotional difficulty Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Developmental problems Yes Yes Yes Yes Trapped Yes Depression & Anxiety & Fear Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Extreme sadness & self blame Yes Poor adjustment School & home Yes Yes Yes Disclosure of Abuse Yes Yes Yes Deviant behaviour – delinquency crime & drug use Yes Yes Yes Yes Loyalty to one parent only Yes Yes Yes Yes Enmeshment with one parent Yes Yes Yes Rejection of other parent Yes Yes Yes lifelong psychiatric disturbance Yes Yes Yes emotional breakdown or run away if ordered to live with other parent Yes Yes

Projection Denial Reaction formation Repression Splitting Rationalism Isolation Fabulation Regression Emotional insulation Intellectualisation Avoidance Fantasy Passivity Somatisation Dissociation Displacement Picture cc at Flickr via Dunechaser's photostream

Projection

Denial

Reaction formation

Repression

Splitting

Rationalism

Isolation

Fabulation

Regression

Emotional insulation

Intellectualisation

Avoidance

Fantasy

Passivity

Somatisation

Dissociation

Displacement

Why it is hard to spot Separating it out from other issues Complex & subtle symptoms Examples Picture cc on Flickr at ST E PH/ EN _G's photostream

Why it is hard to spot

Separating it out from other issues

Complex & subtle symptoms

Examples

Clarify and manage Potential for dispute Potential for dispute “ No problem” PA Perceived PA Not perceived PA doesn’t exist PA Exists These are the situations that are hardest to manage

May just be a child’s reaction to the separation Child may express attachment & lack of fear to known abuser & mistrust and fear to a parent wrongly accused Anxiety, regression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, acting out, depression, symptoms of both PA and real abuse Knowledge of sexualised behaviour beyond age appropriate level can be as a result of sexual abuse or of parental coaching in order to establish abuse

May just be a child’s reaction to the separation

Child may express attachment & lack of fear to known abuser & mistrust and fear to a parent wrongly accused

Anxiety, regression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, acting out, depression, symptoms of both PA and real abuse

Knowledge of sexualised behaviour beyond age appropriate level can be as a result of sexual abuse or of parental coaching in order to establish abuse

Significant peer related problems Feeling left out and isolated .Family conflict & psychologically unavailable parents Non-nurturing, unstable environment Picture cc at Flickr on space.game's photostream

Significant peer related problems

Feeling left out and isolated

.Family conflict & psychologically unavailable parents

Non-nurturing, unstable environment

Antisocial and disruptive behavior Repeated disciplinary problems, expulsion from school Frequent fights , reckless behavior, alcoholism, drug use Picture cc at Flickr on M.Orellana's photostream

Antisocial and disruptive behavior

Repeated disciplinary problems, expulsion from school

Frequent fights , reckless behavior, alcoholism, drug use

Picture cc on Flickr at Vanessa Pike-Russell's photostream

DO DON’T Refer to a psychologist for a professional assessment Discuss this topic with your colleagues and encourage them to learn more Don’t treat a situation as either PA/PAS or not without referring to an expert Assume it is easy to work out who is telling the truth without empirical evidence

DO

DON’T

Refer to a psychologist for a professional assessment

Discuss this topic with your colleagues and encourage them to learn more

Don’t treat a situation as either PA/PAS or not without referring to an expert

Assume it is easy to work out who is telling the truth without empirical evidence

GOOD INFO NOT SO GOOD Specialist children’s psychologists Family Court of Australia Austlii ErinaLegal.com Search for “parental alienation” Google searches Polluted with self interested groups Polarized arguments For more information contact Denise at www. ErinaLegal .com

GOOD INFO

NOT SO GOOD

Specialist children’s psychologists

Family Court of Australia

Austlii

ErinaLegal.com

Search for “parental alienation”

Google searches

Polluted with self interested groups

Polarized arguments

December 2008 (also PAS 2007)

December 2008

(also PAS 2007)

Presentation by Denise King, www.ErinaLegal.com Presentation design by Craig Brown Cover photo by Paulgi and available via Creative Commons on on Flickr

Presentation by Denise King,

www.ErinaLegal.com

Presentation design by Craig Brown

Cover photo by Paulgi and available via Creative Commons on on Flickr