Parental Alienation of a Child

Parental Alienation exists and it is a form of child abuse. Alienation for the first time was recognized by the World Health Organization in 2019 in their 11th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) that will be published in 2022. Alienation generally involves three parties, one aggressor and two victims. The alienating parent is also called the “preferred” parent. Often times the alienating parent has a personality disorder that is projected onto the child. The victims are the alienated or “targeted” parent and the child(ren).

Alienating behavior can be obvious or very subtle. Obvious alienation includes verbally attacking the targeted parent, punishing the child for having a relationship with the targeted parent, and continued false reports of domestic violence and/or child abuse against the targeted parent. Subtle alienation commonly includes the failure to encourage the child to see the targeted parent, passive aggressive insults about the targeted parent, and rewarding the child for hostile behavior towards the targeted parent.

Alienation is classified into three categories, mild, moderate, and severe. Mild alienation includes behavior such as not allowing a child to see a parent on an important birthday, intentionally not sharing information about parent/teacher conferences or doctor appointments and continued canceled scheduled parenting time due to a child’s health. Moderate alienation includes rewarding a child for not spending time with the other parent, insulting the other parent in front of the child, and encouraging the child to see the other parent as the “bad” parent. Severe alienation typically includes terminating all contact between the child(ren) and the targeted parent outside of court ordered therapeutic visits.

Alienation results in poor sibling relationships, emotional trauma, poor school performance, substance abuse, bullying, attachment disorders, and lifelong feelings of abandonment by the child. At Fourth Street Law, LLC we fight against alienation. Our proven strategies can break the cycle of alienation and improve the targeted parent’s relationship with the child(ren). The process to stop alienation is not easy or quick, but our dedicated team will stand by your side every step of the way.