There are multiple explanations for parental rejection in separated and divorcing families. In this dynamic, children and the parents they reject often struggle over a declining relationship and dissipating contact. Frequently the child’s parental rejection is mirrored in their pertinacious, visitation refusal behavior and in extreme cases of parental rejection children have been known to terminate all contact on a permanent basis
Parental Alienation is a term used to describe the behavior of a parent and often other family members who manipulate a child's mind with the motive of severing all ties between the child and the other parent. The agenda is packed with various tactics and actions are pre-meditated. When the pressure on the child to remain loyal to the alienating parent becomes too intense, the child gives up, and total rejection of the other parent becomes reality.
Responding to parental alienation for practitioners. This presentation contains the latest information on evidence based interventions for parental alienation
Parental Alienation at the Intersection of Family Law, Social Science and Liv...Dialogue in Growth
Presentation on Parental Alienation assessment and intervention given to the Australian Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) in May 2018. This presentation was attended by family law practitioners, independent children's lawyers (ICL) and family consultants (custody evaluators).
The scope of the presentation covered definitions of parental alienation, how parental alienation is situated in family law and family violence, evaluation, assessment and evidence-based intervention to remediate parent-child relationships.
Parental Alienation is a term used to describe the behavior of a parent and often other family members who manipulate a child's mind with the motive of severing all ties between the child and the other parent. The agenda is packed with various tactics and actions are pre-meditated. When the pressure on the child to remain loyal to the alienating parent becomes too intense, the child gives up, and total rejection of the other parent becomes reality.
Responding to parental alienation for practitioners. This presentation contains the latest information on evidence based interventions for parental alienation
Parental Alienation at the Intersection of Family Law, Social Science and Liv...Dialogue in Growth
Presentation on Parental Alienation assessment and intervention given to the Australian Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) in May 2018. This presentation was attended by family law practitioners, independent children's lawyers (ICL) and family consultants (custody evaluators).
The scope of the presentation covered definitions of parental alienation, how parental alienation is situated in family law and family violence, evaluation, assessment and evidence-based intervention to remediate parent-child relationships.
When Children are Forced to reject a Parent Whom They LoveDialogue in Growth
Presentation was given to the University of Adelaide symposium on Parental Alienation in 2017. Attended by the general public, targeted-alienated parents and grandparents, and academics, this presentation outlines parental alienation as both a psychological and social phenomenon.
A Hopeful Presentation on Reconnection and Reunification after Parental Alien...Dialogue in Growth
This presentation was given at a parental alienation symposium at the International Congress of Psychology 2016 in Yokohama, Japan. featuring an International expert panel. This presentation features disruptive strategies and tactics that may facilitate reunification in certain cases and where all other options have been exhausted.
If you have children and are experiencing separation or divorce, typically their wellbeing is one of your highest priorities. In this workshop we discuss how to best support your children through your separation, so as to minimise any adverse impact on them.
Tim Sweeney, Licensed Clinical Social, presents The Special Needs Family as part of the 2009 Spring Brown Bag Autism series at the University of Mary Washington.
Steve Vitto Challeng of the Children Breaking Down the WallsSteve Vitto
Steve Vitto's presentation at the 2011 Challenge of the Children Conference at Hope College in Holland Michigan
Strategies for Defiant Students
svitto@muskegonisd.org
In A High Conflict Custody Case, at least one of the parents has difficulty following court orders. Here are some tips to create more detailed court order to eliminate some of the conflict. Dr. Deena Stacer is a parent educator offering online and live coparenting courses to stop conflict between parents over custody issues, www.parentsinconflict.com
The Pink Slip refers to the American practice, by a personnel department, of including a discharge notice in an employee's pay
envelope to notify the worker of his or her termination of employment or layoff. No one, who has heard that just in the last 6
years more than 490 children have died under the care of the Florida Family court system, could argue that this system has
failed our children. Most people, however, erroneously mainly blame the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for their
deaths, but miss the real culprits of this catastrophe, incompetent Judges. Yes, you heard it. Most, if not all of these cases went
before a Judge who was ultimately responsible for what happened in his/her court. In most instances, these Judges ignored the
evidence presented or accepted as truth clearly false evidence by "professionals" such as in the well-published case of Nubia
Barahona, where the opinion of an incompetent psychologist was "enthralled" by the judge who ultimately failed to protect
Nubia.
When Children are Forced to reject a Parent Whom They LoveDialogue in Growth
Presentation was given to the University of Adelaide symposium on Parental Alienation in 2017. Attended by the general public, targeted-alienated parents and grandparents, and academics, this presentation outlines parental alienation as both a psychological and social phenomenon.
A Hopeful Presentation on Reconnection and Reunification after Parental Alien...Dialogue in Growth
This presentation was given at a parental alienation symposium at the International Congress of Psychology 2016 in Yokohama, Japan. featuring an International expert panel. This presentation features disruptive strategies and tactics that may facilitate reunification in certain cases and where all other options have been exhausted.
If you have children and are experiencing separation or divorce, typically their wellbeing is one of your highest priorities. In this workshop we discuss how to best support your children through your separation, so as to minimise any adverse impact on them.
Tim Sweeney, Licensed Clinical Social, presents The Special Needs Family as part of the 2009 Spring Brown Bag Autism series at the University of Mary Washington.
Steve Vitto Challeng of the Children Breaking Down the WallsSteve Vitto
Steve Vitto's presentation at the 2011 Challenge of the Children Conference at Hope College in Holland Michigan
Strategies for Defiant Students
svitto@muskegonisd.org
In A High Conflict Custody Case, at least one of the parents has difficulty following court orders. Here are some tips to create more detailed court order to eliminate some of the conflict. Dr. Deena Stacer is a parent educator offering online and live coparenting courses to stop conflict between parents over custody issues, www.parentsinconflict.com
The Pink Slip refers to the American practice, by a personnel department, of including a discharge notice in an employee's pay
envelope to notify the worker of his or her termination of employment or layoff. No one, who has heard that just in the last 6
years more than 490 children have died under the care of the Florida Family court system, could argue that this system has
failed our children. Most people, however, erroneously mainly blame the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for their
deaths, but miss the real culprits of this catastrophe, incompetent Judges. Yes, you heard it. Most, if not all of these cases went
before a Judge who was ultimately responsible for what happened in his/her court. In most instances, these Judges ignored the
evidence presented or accepted as truth clearly false evidence by "professionals" such as in the well-published case of Nubia
Barahona, where the opinion of an incompetent psychologist was "enthralled" by the judge who ultimately failed to protect
Nubia.
While smart content creation is fundamental to marketing, the rise of digital has introduced unprecedented technical and analytical challenges. The modern marketer must please both humans and search engines with one killer content strategy to deliver a full sales pipeline.
Flip through "The Science of Content Marketing" to get started.
Florida Shared Parenting Laws Enacted October 1st, 2016 - Florida Statutes Ch...Childrens Rights Florida
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 for in favor of the bill. A huge victory for loving parents willing to share their children even after divorce and for children who love and need both parents! See more at www.networkedblogs.com/blog/childrensrights_florida
Noventa años atrás el Tribunal Supremo declaró que “el niño no es la mera criatura del Estado; los que le crian y dirigen su destino tienen derecho, asociado con el alto deber, de reconocerlo y preparar [al niño] para obligaciones adicionales.” Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925). Hace cuarenta años la Corte siguió esta línea de razonamiento al pronunciar que el “rol primario de los padres en la educación de sus hijos está ahora establecido más allá de toda disputa como una perdurable tradición americana.” Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972)
Sin embargo, en el año 2000 la Corte abrió esta disputo de nuevo. Una ley en el estado de Washington le dió a cualquier persona la capacidad de anular la decisión de padres buenos en el asunto de visitación. La persona solo tenía que clamar que sería “mejor” para el niño permitir que la persona tenga derechos de visitación. Cuando la Corte Suprema revisó la ley en el caso Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000):
Hubieron seis opiniones diferentes y ninguna alcanzó cinco votos (una mayoría);
El juez Scalia sostuvo que los padres no tienen derechos de cualquier índole que estén protegidos por la Constitución;
El juez Th omas fue el único de la Corte que indicó claramente que los derechos parentales reciben la misma alta norma jurídica de protección dado a otros derechos fundamentales.
El apoyo por un alto concepto de derechos parentales fue socavado por esta decisión de la Corte. Hoy numerosas cortes federales rechazan tratar estos derechos como merecedores de protección al nivel de otros derechos fundamentales.
Es el deber del Congreso aclarar la confusión causada por esta decisión astillada.
The Parental Rights Amendment, which contains wording to ensure that parental rights are protected for all, including those with a disability. Section 4 of the Amendment states, "The parental rights guaranteed by this article shall not be denied or abridged on account of disability."
Parenting with a Disability: Know Your Rights Toolkit, put together by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and the National Council on Disability. We hope you find the information it contains helpful.
Running head CHILDREN OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WARS 6.docxsusanschei
Running head: CHILDREN OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WARS 6
Children of the Substance Abuse Wars
Tiffany Seace, Veronica Webb, Julia Krueger, Rachel Losey, Emelda Isaac, Angel Reid
BSHS/435
October 3, 2016
Dr. Vanessa Byrd
Children of the Substance Abuse Wars
Approximately 12% of children in the United States have one or both parents with substance abuse issues. According to David Sack (2013), more than 28 million American children have one parent who is addicted to alcohol but this addiction is not being discussed at home (Sack, 2013) and of those 11 million are under the age of 18 (Rodriquez, 2004). These children are at a higher risk of developing complex behavioral, academic, and emotional difficulties than other children. Children of addicts are four times more likely to marry an addict and are at risk of becoming a victim of abuse, neglect, or violence. Children of addicted parents are fiercely loyal to the parent. Adolescents are hesitant to open up and are vulnerable. They are reluctant to reveal parental confidences, even if they urgently need the help (Sack, 2013).
Statistics of Children from Parental Substance Abuse Backgrounds
It is important to analyze the severity of the problem before analyzing the effectiveness of counseling as a corrective measure. It is estimated that nearly 8.3 million children under the age of 18 live with at least one substance abusing/ dependent parent. Also, approximately more than half of child maltreatment cases in the United States were because of parental substance abuse in one way or another.
Kirisci et al. (2002) stated that recent research has found that children of substance-addicted parents are more likely to suffer neglect or abuse than those children who do not have an addicted parent. Additionally, comparable to inattentive mothers and fathers, numerous substance-addicted parents were also mistreated and/or neglected as children (Dunn et al., 2001; Connors et al., 2004; Cash & Wilke, 2003), and describe other disturbing incidents as adults and children (Cohen et al., 2008).
Wulczyn, Ernst & Fisher (2011) hypothesize that nearly 61% of infants and 41% of older children in the welfare system stem from families with active parental alcohol abuse issues. Children who enter the system as infants are more likely to spend a longer duration in care. Infants, especially those aged three months or younger, are more apt to be adopted and spend less or no time in group home placement. All children who enter out-of-home care are vulnerable to delays in social, emotional and cognitive development, which increases the risk of school failure, drug and alcohol abuse and criminality. The toxic stress levels that some infants endure links with developmental delays and poor outcomes for children who are the victims of abuse and neglect. Up to 80% of parents who are involved in the child welfare system are substance abusers, and many have had prior involvement with the system, either as chi ...
Running head CHILDREN OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WARS 9.docxsusanschei
Running head: CHILDREN OF THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WARS 9
Children of the Substance Abuse Wars
Tiffany Seace, Veronica Webb, Julia Krueger, Rachel Losey, Emelda Isaac, Angel Reid
BSHS/435
October 3, 2016
Dr. Vanessa Byrd
Children of the Substance Abuse Wars
Approximately 12% of children in the United States have one or both parents with substance abuse issues. According to David Sack (2013), more than 28 million American children have one parent who is addicted to alcohol but this addiction is not being discussed at home (Sack, 2013) and of those 11 million are under the age of 18 (Rodriquez, 2004). These children are at a higher risk of developing complex behavioral, academic, and emotional difficulties than other children. Children of addicts are four times more likely to marry an addict and are at risk of becoming a victim of abuse, neglect, or violence. Children of addicted parents are fiercely loyal to the parent. Adolescents are hesitant to open up and are vulnerable. They are reluctant to reveal parental confidences, even if they urgently need the help (Sack, 2013).
Statistics of Children from Parental Substance Abuse Backgrounds
It is important to analyze the severity of the problem before analyzing the effectiveness of counseling as a corrective measure. It is estimated that nearly 8.3 million children under the age of 18 live with at least one substance abusing/ dependent parent. Also, approximately more than half of child maltreatment cases in the United States were because of parental substance abuse in one way or another.
Kirisci et al. (2002) stated that recent research has found that children of substance-addicted parents are more likely to suffer neglect or abuse than those children who do not have an addicted parent. Additionally, comparable to inattentive mothers and fathers, numerous substance-addicted parents were also mistreated and/or neglected as children (Dunn et al., 2001; Connors et al., 2004; Cash & Wilke, 2003), and describe other disturbing incidents as adults and children (Cohen et al., 2008).
Wulczyn, Ernst & Fisher (2011) hypothesize that nearly 61% of infants and 41% of older children in the welfare system stem from families with active parental alcohol abuse issues. Children who enter the system as infants are more likely to spend a longer duration in care. Infants, especially those aged three months or younger, are more apt to be adopted and spend less or no time in group home placement. All children who enter out-of-home care are vulnerable to delays in social, emotional and cognitive development, which increases the risk of school failure, drug and alcohol abuse and criminality. The toxic stress levels that some infants endure links with developmental delays and poor outcomes for children who are the victims of abuse and neglect. Up to 80% of parents who are involved in the child welfare system are substance abusers, and many have had prior involvement with the system, either as chil ...
The Treatment of
Abused Children
'
TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS IN
WORKING WITH ABUSED CHILDREN
When assessing the treatment needs of abused children and
formulating treatment plans, it is vital to consider a number
of issues such as, among other things, the phenomenological
impact of the abuse, the family's level of dysfunction, the
environmental stability, the age of the child, and the child's
relationship to the offender.
The actual act of abuse is usually only one of myriad
experiences the child endures. More often than not, the recog
nition and reporting of the abuse to the authorities sets into
motion a number of legal and protective interventions that are
perplexing and anxiety-provoking to the child. Consequently,
the treatment of abused children is multidimensional and will
likely include an array of services including individual,
parent-child, group, and family therapy-all delivered within
the context of social service and legal systems that operate
within their own regulations and limitations.
37
38 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY
The therapy of abused children includes the monitoring
of risk factors, coordination with a variety of agencies, ad
herence to requests for periodic reports, and a focus on
processing of the child and family's trauma, as well as inter
vention in intricate family dynamics, observation of parent
child interactions, work with foster families or other tem
porary caretakers for the child, advocacy efforts, testifying
in court as needed, and other special activities that are
discussed in the final chapter of this book.
The Phenomenological Experience
First and foremost, it is urgent to view each child's ex
perience as unique. References were made to "mediators of
abuse" earlier in this book, and there might be a temptation
to judge the impact of abuse by certain yardsticks, such as
the duration of the abuse, the severity, how many symptoms
arise, who the perpetrator was, or how the child appears. The
reality is that children react differently, and although the
research can serve as a kind of global map of common reper
cussions, only close examination will reveal the subtle
landmarks.
I once worked with a family of five children, ages two,
four, seven, ten, and fifteen, whose home was burned down
as a result of a freak gas explosion. The parents made swift
and appropriate responses, buying the children duplicates of
their favorite things, talking to them in a group about the
experience, and bringing themselves and the children for
some family counseling sessions. The parents commanded
authority, coped well with their stress, and conveyed positive
feelings to the children, centering on the fact that they had
all survived and that that was the most miraculous and
important thing. The parents also had the financial means
to rent a comfortable home, and their insurance provided
substantial compensation for erecting a new home. The
children were involved i.
The Treatment of Abused Children TREATMENT CON.docxchristalgrieg
The Treatment of
Abused Children
'
TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS IN
WORKING WITH ABUSED CHILDREN
When assessing the treatment needs of abused children and
formulating treatment plans, it is vital to consider a number
of issues such as, among other things, the phenomenological
impact of the abuse, the family's level of dysfunction, the
environmental stability, the age of the child, and the child's
relationship to the offender.
The actual act of abuse is usually only one of myriad
experiences the child endures. More often than not, the recog
nition and reporting of the abuse to the authorities sets into
motion a number of legal and protective interventions that are
perplexing and anxiety-provoking to the child. Consequently,
the treatment of abused children is multidimensional and will
likely include an array of services including individual,
parent-child, group, and family therapy-all delivered within
the context of social service and legal systems that operate
within their own regulations and limitations.
37
38 THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY
The therapy of abused children includes the monitoring
of risk factors, coordination with a variety of agencies, ad
herence to requests for periodic reports, and a focus on
processing of the child and family's trauma, as well as inter
vention in intricate family dynamics, observation of parent
child interactions, work with foster families or other tem
porary caretakers for the child, advocacy efforts, testifying
in court as needed, and other special activities that are
discussed in the final chapter of this book.
The Phenomenological Experience
First and foremost, it is urgent to view each child's ex
perience as unique. References were made to "mediators of
abuse" earlier in this book, and there might be a temptation
to judge the impact of abuse by certain yardsticks, such as
the duration of the abuse, the severity, how many symptoms
arise, who the perpetrator was, or how the child appears. The
reality is that children react differently, and although the
research can serve as a kind of global map of common reper
cussions, only close examination will reveal the subtle
landmarks.
I once worked with a family of five children, ages two,
four, seven, ten, and fifteen, whose home was burned down
as a result of a freak gas explosion. The parents made swift
and appropriate responses, buying the children duplicates of
their favorite things, talking to them in a group about the
experience, and bringing themselves and the children for
some family counseling sessions. The parents commanded
authority, coped well with their stress, and conveyed positive
feelings to the children, centering on the fact that they had
all survived and that that was the most miraculous and
important thing. The parents also had the financial means
to rent a comfortable home, and their insurance provided
substantial compensation for erecting a new home. The
children were involved i ...
La transidentité, un sujet qui fractionne les FrançaisIpsos France
Ipsos, l’une des principales sociétés mondiales d’études de marché dévoile les résultats de son étude Ipsos Global Advisor “Pride 2024”. De ses débuts aux Etats-Unis et désormais dans de très nombreux pays, le mois de juin est traditionnellement consacré aux « Marches des Fiertés » et à des événements festifs autour du concept de Pride. A cette occasion, Ipsos a réalisé une enquête dans vingt-six pays dressant plusieurs constats. Les clivages des opinions entre générations s’accentuent tandis que le soutien à des mesures sociétales et d’inclusion en faveur des LGBT+ notamment transgenres continue de s’effriter.
From Stress to Success How Oakland's Corporate Wellness Programs are Cultivat...Kitchen on Fire
Discover how Oakland's innovative corporate wellness initiatives are transforming workplace culture, nurturing the well-being of employees, and fostering a thriving environment. From comprehensive mental health support to flexible work arrangements and holistic wellness workshops, these programs are empowering individuals to navigate stress effectively, leading to increased productivity, satisfaction, and overall success.
What Makes Candle Making The Ultimate Bachelorette CelebrationWick & Pour
The above-discussed factors are the reason behind an increasing number of millennials opting for candle making events to celebrate their bachelorette. If you are in search of any theme for your bachelorette then do opt for a candle making session to make your celebration memorable for everyone involved.
Johnny Depp Long Hair: A Signature Look Through the Yearsgreendigital
Johnny Depp, synonymous with eclectic roles and unparalleled acting prowess. has also been a significant figure in fashion and style. Johnny Depp long hair is a distinctive trademark among the various elements that define his unique persona. This article delves into the evolution, impact. and cultural significance of Johnny Depp long hair. exploring how it has contributed to his iconic status.
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Introduction
Johnny Depp is an actor known for his chameleon-like ability to transform into a wide range of characters. from the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean" to the introspective Edward Scissorhands. His long hair is one constant throughout his evolving roles and public appearances. Johnny Depp long hair is not a style choice but a significant aspect of his identity. contributing to his allure and mystique. This article explores the journey and significance of Johnny Depp long hair. highlighting how it has become integral to his brand.
The Early Years: A Budding Star with Signature Locks
1980s: The Rise of a Young Heartthrob
Johnny Depp's journey in Hollywood began in the 1980s. with his breakout role in the television series "21 Jump Street." During this time, his hair was short, but it was already clear that Depp had a penchant for unique and edgy styles. By the decade's end, Depp started experimenting with longer hair. setting the stage for a lifelong signature.
1990s: From Heartthrob to Icon
The 1990s were transformative for Johnny Depp his career and personal style. Films like "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and "Benny & Joon" (1993) saw Depp sporting various hair lengths and styles. But, his long, unkempt hair in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993) began to draw significant attention. This period marked the beginning of Johnny Depp long hair. which became a defining feature of his image.
The Iconic Roles: Hair as a Character Element
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
In "Edward Scissorhands," Johnny Depp's character had a wild and mane that complemented his ethereal and misunderstood persona. This role showcased how long hair Johnny Depp could enhance a character's depth and mystery.
Captain Jack Sparrow: The Pirate with Flowing Locks
One of Johnny Depp's iconic roles is Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Sparrow's long, dreadlocked hair symbolised his rebellious and unpredictable nature. The character's look, complete with beads and trinkets woven into his hair. was a collaboration between Depp and the film's costume designers. This style became iconic and influenced fashion trends and Halloween costumes worldwide.
Other Memorable Characters
Depp's long hair has also been featured in other roles, such as Ichabod Crane in "Sleepy Hollow" (1999). and Roux in "Chocolat" (2000). In these films, his hair added a layer of authenticity and depth to his characters. proving that Johnny Depp with long hair is more than a style—it's a storytelling tool.
Off-Screen Influenc
Is your favorite ring slipping and sliding on your finger? You're not alone. Must Read this Guide on What To Do If Your Ring Is Too Big as shared by the experts of Andrews Jewelers.
1. Parental Alienation and Children Exhibiting Visitation Refusal Behaviour
By Joseph Goldberg
Parental Alienation Expert and Family Law Consultant
www.ParentalAlienation.ca
Founder of The Canadian Symposium for Parental Alienation Syndrome
www.CSPAS.ca
There are multiple explanations for parental rejection in separated and divorcing
families. In this dynamic, children and the parents they reject often struggle over
a declining relationship and dissipating contact.
Frequently the child’s parental rejection is mirrored in their pertinacious, visit -
ation refusal behaviour and in extreme cases of parental rejection children have
been known to terminate all contact on a permanent basis ( Turkat ).
Management of Visitation Interference, Ira Daniel Turkat, Ph.D., The Judges Journal, Number 36 p.17-47
Spring, 1997
In a Canadian legal study exploring parental rejection between 1987– 2009, a
correlation was found between gender bias and visitation resistance. ( Coleman )
Trends Analysis, Gene C. Colman, 2009 CSPAS conference, Metro Toronto Convention Center.
This study examined 74 cases and found fathers to be biased as rejected parents
by a statistic of 62%. Another similar, clinical study during 1985–2001 ( which
included 99 cases ), found no bias at all. The gender ratio was closer to 50 - 50.
( Gardner ).
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS ):Sixteen Years Later, Richard A. Gardner, M.D. Published in
The Academy Forum , 2001, 45(1): 10-12 A Publication of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis.
Based upon the social science literature it is far more accurate to conclude that
both genders share the same degree of high risk in being rejected by their children,
and although there is still a substantial amount of public discordance over the
issue of gender bias in the courts, the clinical data supports the fact that mother’s
and father’s report the loss of child relationships in fairly equal proportion.
There are more than five hundred thousand children every year in divorced and
separated families who have parents polarized by the issue of custody, and be -
cause of this conflict, many children are psychologically divided by behaviours
that have three stages of adjustment. These stages are referred to as : Visitation
Resistance, Visitation Pleasure and Visitation Confliction.
The First Stage – Visitation Resistance
2. This pattern of behaviour is acute during pick up and drop off times, but can also
be observed during telephonic visitation. The first stage begins when custody is
transferred to the rejected parent. This transfer catalyzes the child’s protestations
and visitation refusal behaviour and every objection is goal oriented to remain in
the custody of the aligned parent. Objections may also vary between verbal, and
physical acts of resistance and the resistance might be mild, moderate or extreme.
The Second Stage - Visitation Pleasure.
After the child is transferred over to the custody of the rejected parent ( far from
the influence of the aligned parent ), the child demonstrates a favourable attitude
about visitation, and a general reversal in animosities towards the rejected parent.
During this stage the child enjoys bonding with the maligned parent. They
engage in activities and cooperate, they show respect and at times express love
and affection for the parent.
The Third Stage –Visitation Confliction
Shortly after the child is returned to the custody of the aligned parent, the loyalty
testing begins. Many aligned parents look upon the child’s visitation pleasure as
an act of betrayal and this perceived betrayal triggers a repercussion for the child.
In this reverse pattern of rejection ( rejection directed at the child ), repercussions
may vary. The aligned parent may resort to threats of abandonment, a suspension
or cancellation of activities, the silent treatment, criticisms comparing them to the
non-favoured parent, and acts of verbal or physical abuse.
As soon as the child learns the connection between visitation pleasure and how it
elicits anger and rejection, they realize the need to shunt or eliminate any display
of those feelings in front of the aligned parent and in doing so the child learns how
to escape negative consequences.
Not all children reach this stage of visitation confliction. Many children never get
the time or the opportunity to experience the stage of visitation pleasure, and also
a large number of young children do not have the cognitive development to gain
an understanding of this linkage and the insight to adjust their behaviour.
This third stage called visitation confliction begins just prior to the child’s transfer
back to the aligned parent. During this third and final stage, normally hours before
returning home, the child undergoes a dramatic switch in mood, he or she may act
despondent, upset, anxious or withdrawn, and not because of any negative inter -
action with the rejected parent, rather because it is symptomatic of the child’s great
confliction in returning home. These stages of behaviour have also been referred to
as “splitting.”( Waldron, Joanis ). Understanding and Collaboratively Treating Parental Alienation
Syndrome Kenneth H.Waldron, Ph.D and David E. Joanis, JD, American Journal of Family Law, Vol 10,
121- 133 ( 1996 ).
3. Sometimes children have justified reasons for parental rejection. For example,
the parent may have a history of being abusive or neglectful. Parents that earn this
rejection may have other parenting deficits ( e.g. being overly rigid, being overly
controlling, overly critical, or disinterested, etc. )
In regard to children who are victims of abuse, many try to cover up their injuries
and take blame for the injuries they receive. A study that focused on non-abusive
parents, found them to be supportive in helping their children to repair some of the
parental estrangement. A term that’s now referred to in the social science literature
as realistic estrangement.
The opposite is true of alienating parents. Active or obsessed alienating parents
have no interest in seeing a ruptured child - parent relationship repaired and in
comparison to children of abuse, alienated children (who are victims of parental
programming), have no inhibition talking about their alleged maltreatment, and
they vilify the parent they reject. ( Darnell ) Three Types of Parental Alienatiors , Douglas
Darnell, Ph.D., 1997
Clinicians that provide mental health services to children need to understand the
etiology of children inculcated with parental programming. Practitioner’s that fail
to do so are prone to make diagnostic errors and implement therapeutic intervene-
tions that could potentially worsen the child’s condition. This is a big problem for
children because very few mental health professionals have the expertise to make
this kind of differential diagnosis and even fewer lawyers involved in the custody
case know where to find such professionals.
There are significant differences between children who are true victims of
abuse and the subset of children who are programmed to falsely believe it.
There are also unjustified reasons for parental rejection.( Presently there are no
studies comparing justified reasons for parental rejection to unjustified reasons,
but such a study in the future, would be important in the efficacy of therapeutic
interventions ).
Many times a child's unjustified reason for parental rejection, is directly linked
to the negative influence of an aligned parent. This is referred to in the social
science literature as parental alienation and the children who are afflicted with
this condition are vulnerable to a long list of maladaptive behaviours, including
personality disorders. ( Gardner, 1985, Bernet, 2010 ).There are also three ( 3 ),
stages of parental alienation. The child becomes progressively more disturbed
traversing from the mild, to moderate and then severe stages of alienation.
The psychological harm that results from splitting, and the more serious stages
of parental alienation can be minimized with the early coaching intervention of
a parental alienation consultant. This expert is best able to instruct the rejected
parent how to better manage his or her relationships, within the family dynamic.
( Goldberg )
4. Things A Parental Alienation Consultant Can Do For You, Joseph Goldberg, CSPAS conference in NYC
at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Parental Alienation Syndrome: Past, Present and Future.
Parental alienation can also be a causal factor in self injuring behaviour in child-
ren, including eating disorders. Alienated children are at a high risk of drug and
alcohol abuse, they may suffer from mood disorders, have low self esteem, they
may be depressed, or anxious or trying to cope with persistent panic attacks and
some alienated children have been misdiagnosed as asthmatic.
There are also alienating parents who put their children on medication they do
not need. Parents that engage in this behaviour attempt to make it appear ( for
custody purposes) that the child becomes adversely affected prior to, or shortly
after their visitation with the rejected parent. Alienating parents will also go
doctor shopping for mental health practitioners that support their view that the
child's visitations should be terminated or limited to supervision. Lawyers may
be partly responsible for also suggesting such strategies to alienating parents.
Whether the child is medicated or not, the mere threat of telling a child they need
to be placed on psychotropic medication is cause enough to intensify visitation
refusal behaviour. The struggle over medication abuse can be better avoided with
the help of retaining a parental alienation consultant.
In addition, alienated children can have other unjustified reasons for rejection
of a parent; reasons that have - nothing to do - with the negative influence of a
favoured parent. For example an alienated child can have unjustified reasons
triggered by the parent entering into a newly married relationship. Remarriage as
a Trigger of Parental Alienation Syndrome The American Journal of Family Therapy, 28: 229-241, 2000
Richard Warshak, Ph.D.
Today, mental health professionals already recognize parental alienation as a
serious form of child abuse and science has unravelled how a parent’s negative
influence can inculcate a child with parental alienation syndrome.
Psychological Associations have already started to identify
Parental Alienation Syndrome
as a diagnostic mental disorder.
In 2010, the Psychological Association of Spain classified Parental Alienation Syndrome
( P.A.S. ) as a mental disorder. According to American psychiatrist Dr. William Bernet,
who proposed Parental Alienation Disorder ( P.A.D. ) as a diagnosis to the DSM - 5 task
force members, alienated children refuse visitation as a primary behavioural response. In
collaboration with over four hundred clinicians, Dr. Bernet has documented that parental
alienation is now a global reality.
5. In some parts of the world, it is a criminal offence to parentally alienate a child.
Also in 2010 Brazil passed laws making it a criminal offence to alienate children. Published in the popular press.
Family law judges in dozens of countries refer to alienating behaviour and even when
judges never use a term like parental alienation, they consistently order parents not to
engage in acts of alienation. To illustrate this point, most judges warn parents not to
" badmouth the other parent in front of the child, " not to " expose the children to adult
information, " and not to " interfere with visitation. " This proves that judges are not
only aware of parental alienation, but how concerned they are that a parents negative
influence can be a threat to the child's well being. Many Final Dissolution of Marriage
court orders also specify judicial boundaries that pertain to the contraction of alienation.
Due to the rapid development of parental alienation it’s not surprising that most parents
are completely unaware of it and later surprised to learn it has a diagnostic term. This is
a distinction normally reserved for rejected parents, because it is not until that parent is
overwhelmed by the child's denigrating behaviour, that they discover this nomenclature
on the internet.
Social science has recently discovered that there's also a transgenerational relationship
in parental alienation. New data now indicates that alienated children frequently marry
spouses who divorce them and later turn their own children against them ( Baker 2009 )
Adult Children of Parental Alienation Breaking The Ties That Bind, Amy Baker, Ph.D, Published by Norton
Currently the American Psychiatric Association (A.P.A) is considering parental
alienation disorder for inclusion in the DSM-5, and the ICD-11 is working with
a parental alienation study group on the definitional terminology for it's next edition.
Parental alienation is also a very narrow sub-speciality in psychiatry, so very few
clinicians know there are 3 possible classifications for it's inclusion in the DSM-5.
In the opinion of many clinicians who support the new diagnosis the one that appears
to be most favoured is :
Parental Alienation Relational Problem
Even critics that do not believe Parental Alienation Disorder should be classified in the
main body of Appendix A, uniformly agree, that it does deserve to be listed as a
relational problem. If the A.P.A. agrees, P.A.R.P. will be assigned a DSM-5 diagnostic
V Code.
Note: There are 3 possible ways for parental alienation to get into the DSM-5: in the main body of Appendix A
as a mental disorder, in Appendix B as a relational problem or Appendix A in one of the appendices of DSM-5
under Criteria Sets and Axes for further study.
Children that advance to the more severe stages of parental alienation have delusional
thinking. One such belief is that the parent they once loved and trusted, is now danger-
ous and unsafe to be with. The alienating parent maintains the same belief. This of
course has a substantial impact on the child’s visitation refusal behaviour. Many of the
experts in parental alienation ( Caddy, Sauber, Worenklein, Bernet ), liken this relation-
al problem to shared delusional disorder and numerous scientific articles do refer to
alienated children as being in a " folie a deux " with the alienating parent.
6. One of the unique clinical features in severe parental alienation is the child's delusional
belief that there never was a close or loving bond with the rejected parent. The child
clings to this belief even after viewing photos or videos debunking their delusion. It is
this aspect of the child's condition that makes Parental Alienation Disorder so worthy
of inclusion in DSM- 5 as a mental disorder.
Whether the child believes there never was a close and loving bond with the rejected
parent or expects the rejected parent to believe it, both sets of beliefs represent examples
of delusional thinking. It is therefore accurate to conclude that these children have an
abnormal and self harming set of beliefs.
For the victimized and rejected parent it is best to sum up their experience by saying:
No loving, caring parent with a history of good relations with the child would ever
accept at face value the child's false and delusional belief.
Either the alienated child expects their view of reality to be accepted by the rejected
parent or the child accepts their own disorderly thinking because they are unaware
of the parental alienation. Imagine for just a moment someone telling you that the car
you're driving is not a car, it’s an alien spaceship.
Only the genesis of the delusion is really at question, not the delusion itself.
Going back to the topic of victims of abuse, many are in denial of their abuse and
sometimes that denial can last for a very long time. Being in denial, is the same for
alienated children ( who are the victims of parental programming ), the difference
is that alienated children see their abuser as being " all good " Victims of abuse do
not lack such a total ambivalence. Also alienated children want everyone to accept
as they do, the symbiotic relationship they have with the programming abuser.
Clinicians need to recognize this false-positive façade. The failure to do so
only exposes the child to more programming abuse and suffering
When a child expresses constant unjustified denigration of a parent, it strongly in -
dicates the evidence of damaged critical thinking. More research is needed to quantify
the extent of this damage, but what we do know is that the child's critical thinking
is in short supply.
Another marker in understanding the alienated child is that they do not show any sign
of guilt or remorse for the denigrating behaviour. It is important to have compassion
for these children because they are not at fault for their delusional thinking. Rejected
parents also need a great deal of empathy to help them understand why a loving child
they once cared for and understood, now rejects them for unjustified, illogical reasons.
In response to and perhaps in defence of their actions, a rejected parent ( who doesn't
know about parental alienation or fully understand it ) may respond in overly reactive
ways. These parents suffer from an abundance of undeserved criticism. They may see
their child as a victim of emotional abuse and programming and they worry about the
well being of the child and how to restore them back to mental health.
7. Due to factors that vary between frustration and a lack of understanding, these parents
may have situational times in which they lose control over their better judgment in
responding to the child and or with the alienating parent. Many efforts are made by
rejected parents to get their children to express apologies for their behaviour. Others try
to elicit feelings of remorse in an effort to break down the child’s wall of denial.
As an example, lets look at the widely publicized story about actor Alec Baldwin and
his voicemail message referring to his daughter as " a rude little pig " Angry, frustrated
parents like Mr. Baldwin could have benefited from the advise of a parental alienation
consultant in pre empting such a reaction. Unfortunately there are not many lawyers who
know about parental alienation consultants so very few parents ever learn how to find
them.
Even parents falsely accused of parental alienation, can benefit
from a parental alienation consultant.
The fact that so few alienating parents reach out for the services of a parental alienation
consultant seems to indicate that the large majority of those being accused of alienation
are in fact true alienators. What else could explain why someone being unfairly accused
of such behaviour would not want an expert to disprove it ? One other possible explan-
ation is that some family law lawyers may be concerned that the advise or suggestions
that they have given to their clients, could implicate them in the alienation and therefore
would not want a parental alienation consultant to detect it.
It also helps a rejected parent to get the right advise at the time it's most needed. It would
be an understatement to say that rejected parents need experts to help them. They
constantly have to cope with one crisis after another and the family law lawyer cannot fill
this role because ( 1. ) they're not experts in parental alienation and ( 2. ) they're not
available to advise their clients about daily chaotic events.
The alienated child is also frustrated. The goal for them is to convince the rejected parent
to give up and walk away, to let them decide whether or not they want to be with them or
not. In most cases they have already made up their mind not to be with them. When their
efforts to separate from the rejected parent fail, it generates a great deal of frustration. In
short, it becomes a zero sum game for the child. Winner take all !
An effort to separate from a rejected parent can also be a staged event to influence third
parties ( e.g. a therapist, a school counsellor, a lawyer, a DCF investigator ). In the back-
ground and unbeknownst to third parties, an alienating parent coaches and empowers the
child to represent and echo their wishes, as a freely individuated viewpoint.
Third parties have no insight themselves to how the child 's viewpoint got foisted upon
them by a programming parent. Also, unbeknownst to the rejected parent, the alienated
child is testing them to help shape and sharpen their own credibility.
8. Third parties (e.g. mental health professionals, ad litem, etc) only get an opportunity to
hear a small portion of the history in assessing the parent-child relationship. They only
learn what they do from unreliable discussions with the child and alienating parent ( or
sometimes from the allies of an alienating parent ). Rarely do they get the real truth or
all the facts. Some simply say that they are not the trier of fact therefore it’s not up to
them to look at all the forensic, historical data regarding how the alienation started and
developed. This maintains the alienation in its place, and it reinforces greater visitation
refusal behaviour.
Alienated children often use what they learn from “ separation failure. “ A term I prefer
to use because it helps point to the child’s coaching ( sometimes by an alienating parent
other times with help from a naïve mental health professional ). The child uses the past
experience to better assuage third parties. These children learn that third parties are
frequently more likely to accept what they hear ( from them ) and see ( in them ) at face
value.
The alienated child is also aware of many opportunities to use third parties to get other
third parties to intervene. ( e.g. like when the child alleges abuse to a school counsellor
who then reports it to the DCF ).
Frequently, third parties refer to the "maturity " of the child, the "age " of the child or the
fact the child "may be doing good in school" to rubber stamp their beliefs that the child
should be able to reject a parents contact. This is also the prayer being answered for an
alienating parent. Some judges will allow 13 or 14 year old children to make up their own
mind about a parental relationship.
Imagine allowing a 13 or 14 year old child to stay out as late as they want unsupervised
or letting a 14 year old decide for themselves if they want or need to go to school ? Yet
children this age are often times given authority to decide if they want to see and have a
parental relationship with a parent that's never been proven to be abusive, neglectful, or
been found guilty of any significant parenting deficits. This reinforces more visitation re-
fusal behaviour. Isn’t it easy to say that a parent can’t force a child to get into a car for a
visitation ?
Yet the same parent makes no complaints about the child being reluctant to follow other
instructions they give.
Sadly, many third parties parcel out advise to rejected parents that maybe they should
just give up the hope of having a parental relationship and just let the child comeback to
them whenever they feel ready. Unfortunately, alienated children rarely come back on
their own and they are never encouraged by the alienating parent to do so. If intervention
does not occur, the child's visitation refusal is more likely to become permanent. These
third parties offering such advise are badly mistaken. One has to wonder if it were their
child being abused and implanted with false beliefs, would they just walk away ?
9. Clearly as more and more mental health professionals and as worldwide psychological
and psychiatric associations acknowledge the reality of this parental alienation entity, the
more advancement will be made in treatment services to alienated children, their parents,
and to other family members.
In moderate and severe stages of parental alienation, the alienated child will reject all the
other family members connected with the rejected parent. This total rejection spreads to
grandparents, aunts, and uncles, cousins, friends of the family even the family pet will be
abandoned by an alienated child.
What can be done to treat parental alienation ?
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of false and misleading information on the internet
relating to parental alienation. Various groups have polarized and overly opinionated
viewpoints. Many are affected parents. Some have lost custody because they were found
guilty of alienation, other parents are badly rankled because they’re trying to prove that
alienation is what’s going on and that it’s the cause of their lost relationship.
There are also many advocacy groups for father’s rights organizations and some women's
rights organizations pushing the debate even further saying that parental alienation is just
junk science.
Many people in the past have voiced opposition to new diagnostic conditions. ( e.g.
PTSD, AIDS ) but those professionals were never as vilified as are the professionals
now involved in the study and science investigating parental alienation.
The reason that this is so, is because of the legal quagmire that surrounds the
custody and treatment interventions.
No other mental health diagnosis is so rooted in a legal conflict as is the one involving
parental alienation. This is the cause of much controversy. Some of the emphatic
viewpoints being promulgated are simply biased. Others are based upon support for
divergent agendas. Many people are spewing distorted and misleading facts because
they fear the recognition of a disorder that could expose their behaviour from the past,
in the present, and into the future.
What comes around goes around.
It is not uncommon for alienated children to turn against
the alienator's that programmed them.
Some alienating parents suffer in silence over the fear that their children will one day
turn against them. Many alienated children do, and this is even more likely to occur if
the recognition of parental alienation is accepted in the DSM-5 and the ICD -11.
10. Imagine not only the influence of mental health professionals who begin to identify the
diagnosis in larger numbers but the societal impact of movies and documentaries about
parental alienation, add in books being published by famous celebrities telling their own
stories about how parental alienation negatively influenced their life.
At some point in the not to distant future we may hear a very vocal outcry from tens of
thousands of rejected-alienators pleading for treatment plans to help them restore their
lost relationships with alienated children. For this reason, interventions should
immediately address this reality because a large percentage of alienated children are dis-
advantaged in having already lost relationships with both parents.
Also, one very large movement is trying to change visitation so it's more equal to both
the parents. Although equal parenting is certainly a positive step in giving children the
maximum time with each parent, it won't stop or prevent the behaviour of an alienating
parent.
In terms of treatment for alienated children, reunification has worked for children in
situations where they were kidnapped and later given the chance to be reunified with a
long lost parent. It has helped children repair relationships with parents who have
been in jail for long periods of time, but reunification therapy for alienated children
hasn't worked at all. In fact it has a high failure rate.
Traditional counselling is also failing. The social science literature shows converging
data that traditional counselling offers no therapeutic gains for alienated children. Other
data reports that traditional counselling actually makes things worse. It is unfortunate
but true that most mental health professionals have no specialized knowledge or expertise
in treating children who are victims of parental alienation and in an AFCC article in the
Family Law Review it stated the following advise to the courts :
" If parental alienation is even alleged, it is highly recommended
that the court appoint an expert with specialized knowledge and expertise "
The article in the family law review is: Children Resisting Postseparation Contact With A Parent:
Concepts,Controversies, and Conundrums, Barbara Jo Fidler and Nicholas Bala Family Court Review,
Vol 48, Number 1 January 2010.
For families and third parties seeking professionals for treatment it is also sad but true
that most mental health professionals avoid litigious cases involving visitation refusal
behaviour and custody disputes in order to side step professional complaints that stem
from disaffected parents.
Due to this problem more and more practitioners are giving up and getting out of
this line of work..
11. Also many practitioners that do custody evaluations no longer want to be involved.
They to, encounter complaints that are costly to defend. For this reason many families
face the probability that the evaluator they turn to, is less likely to make the correct
differential diagnosis.
There is however one organization taking giant steps in helping families that are in
need of these professional services:
The Canadian Symposium for Parental Alienation Syndrome ( CSPAS ).
The CSPAS has a network of qualified mental health professionals who have special
training and expertise in parental alienation and in understanding all the diagnostic
factors why children reject parents.
They can refer parents and lawyers to custody evaluators or to mental health practitioners
for counselling. They offer free referrals and free consultations. The professionals
associated with the CSPAS Referral Service Center have qualified as more experienced
in this field on the basis that they have ( 1. ) attended CSPAS conferences, or ( 2. )
purchased DVD clinical speaker resources for their practice, which they also share with
patients or ( 3. ) have taken a CSPAS Continuing Educational Course on Parental
Alienation ( already approved by the American Psychological Association for 18 CEC's. )
The website for this organization is:
www.CSPAS.ca
In conclusion, the best advise for the prevention of parental alienation and to end the
child's visitation refusal behaviour is for the rejected parent to assert control by
surrounding him or herself with the right assembly of professionals. A more sensible
starting point would be to retain a parental alienation consultant and to build the legal -
therapeutic intervention around the guidance of that expert.
Many collaborative professionals in the divorce industry might argue that these matters
are better handled with a more mediated approach, unfortunately, they overlook ( some
for self-serving reasons ), the large population of alienating parents who are personality
disordered individuals and as such, they have no insight to the harm they cause to their
own children.
These parents do not follow court orders and they have even less interest in following
separation agreements. They stall for time to be able to program their children. They use
professionals only if it will further their own aims, they dismiss or fight against any
professionals that do not take their side ( including their own lawyers ) and some
professionals give them the seeds of knowledge either wittingly or unwittingly to achieve
their goals.
Alienating parents often times use collaborative professionals to manipulate their former
spouses into flawed agreements. In case after case, trusting parents ( who later end up
rejected parents ) are encouraged to enter into separation agreements or a consent orders
and in the process they give away far to much control and power to the alienating parent.
12. There is also validating research that parental alienation occurs in intact families. This is
important to know because many alienators start the process of programming a child
long before any collaborative process begins. All the alienating parent needs is a bit more
time to finish the job. How can any collaborative lawyer or a family mediator ensure any
better the protection of a child from parental alienation if the parental alienation is
already going on under everyone's radar ? This is just another good reason to engage a
parental alienation consultant early in the process of a separation or divorce. Three Types of
Alienators, Douglas Darnall, Ph.D ( 1997 ).
Many family law lawyers and mental health professionals also skip over the ethical and
professional codes of conduct in order to retain the clients that come through their doors.
Most parents that enter into a high conflict divorce with children have no cognizance of
this, and they have very limited funds. so they can ill afford to make mistakes or correct
them at a later date.
Most family law lawyers would be disadvantaged in taking on parental alienation cases
without the expertise of a parental alienation consultant. Not only do they need the help
in finding the right mental health professionals for counselling and evaluations, they al-
so need their clients working with a professional that can monitor and respond to every-
day events.
Added to the complexity of this problem are professionals whose egos prohibit them
from acknowledging their short comings and the greater need for them to step aside so
that more qualified professionals can take their place.
Judges are also easy targets to blame when parents are disappointed but judges can only
make rulings based on how a case is presented to them, and if the lawyer does not have
an expert assisting them then it's not the judge's fault. In my opinion a majority of judges
are exceeding brilliant and the enormous amount of derision they receive is undeserved.
In addition, family law lawyers would be able to litigate their cases more effectively with
the help of a parental alienation consultant; even clients with small budgets should be ad -
vised to at least seek a free consultation from such a professional. As odd as it may seem
to add more people to the litigation team, the fact is that when clients do retain such
professionals, they save substantial amounts of legal fees because ineffective legal
strategies are voted down at the starting gate. For the client this could represent savings in
tens of thousands of dollars and a great deal of wasted time and heartache.
Also any client without this professional expertise is likely to bounce from one lawyer to
the next as things go from bad to worse. Regardless of how other professionals become
involved in these cases it will always be important for family law judges to have a solid
education in parental alienation. It is the only way to maximize the best interest of child -
ren and to reassure the public that parental alienation is being better understood. The key
to ending visitation refusal behaviour is to identify the true reasons why children reject a
parent and then to apply the most appropriate therapeutic intervention.