Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Serious Form of Psychological Child Abuse

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is increasingly recognized as a significant form of psychological child abuse that occurs primarily in the context of child custody disputes. It involves the systematic “programming” of a child by one parent (the alienating parent) to denigrate and reject the other parent (the targeted parent) without justification16.

Definition and Recognition

Parental alienation is listed in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association) under diagnostic code V 995.51 as “child psychological abuse”3. This classification acknowledges the serious psychological harm inflicted on children subjected to alienating behaviors.

The alienation process typically involves a campaign of denigration against the targeted parent, including behaviors such as:

• Badmouthing the other parent
• Limiting contact with the targeted parent
• Erasing the other parent from the child’s life (forbidding discussions or pictures)
• Forcing the child to reject the targeted parent
• Creating the impression that the targeted parent is dangerous
• Forcing the child to choose between parents through threats of withdrawal of affection
• Belittling and limiting contact with the extended family of the targeted parent6

Signs and Symptoms

In Children

Children experiencing parental alienation typically display several characteristic behaviors:

• A campaign of denigration against the targeted parent
• Weak or absurd rationalizations for their rejection
• Lack of normal ambivalence about the targeted parent
• Insistence that the decision to reject is their own (“independent-thinker phenomenon”)
• Reflexive support for the alienating parent
• Absence of guilt regarding treatment of the alienated parent
• Use of borrowed scenarios and phrases from the alienating parent
• Extension of animosity to the targeted parent’s extended family25

In Alienating Parents

Alienating parents often exhibit specific behaviors including:

• Consistently badmouthing the targeted parent
• Withholding important information about the child
• Referring to the targeted parent by first name instead of “Mom” or “Dad”
• Inappropriately confiding in the child about adult matters
• Telling the child the targeted parent doesn’t love them
• Forcing the child to choose between parents
• Portraying the targeted parent as dangerous
• Withdrawing love as manipulation
• Interfering with communication between the child and targeted parent5

Psychological Impact on Children

The psychological consequences for children subjected to parental alienation are severe and long-lasting:

• Poor self-esteem, depression, and self-hatred
• Disrupted social-emotional development, including withdrawal and social anxiety
• Low self-sufficiency and unhealthy dependence on the alienating parent
• Poor academic achievement
• Struggles with impulse control, mental health, addiction, and self-harm 14

Research indicates that children exposed to parental alienating behaviors may develop a confused sense of self-perception and lose the ability to trust their own perceptions and feelings, resulting in an uncertain identity and deep insecurity 4. These difficulties can lead to inadequate development of independence and individuality, increasing vulnerability to various mental health disorders.

Adults who experienced parental alienation in childhood report higher rates of:

• Anxiety disorders and trauma reactions
• Emotional pain
• Addiction and substance use problems
• Suicidal ideation
• Difficulty forming healthy relationships 413

Comparison to Other Forms of Abuse

Experts consider parental alienation to be on par with physical and sexual abuse in terms of its harmful effects 1013. In fact, children experiencing parental alienation are at significantly higher risk for other forms of abuse:

• Five times more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment
• Exposed to one hundred times higher risks of fatal abuse
• Higher risks of physical health problems and psychosomatic symptoms1

Intervention and Treatment

Several specialized intervention approaches have been developed to address parental alienation:

1. Legal Interventions: In severe cases, awarding primary parental responsibility to the targeted parent can ameliorate parental alienation. Research shows that separating the child from the alienating parent is not harmful to the child in these situations 9.
2. Specialized Therapy Programs:
   • Family Bridges Program: An educative and experiential program focused on allowing the child to have healthy relationships with both parents
   • Overcoming Barriers Family Camp: Combines psycho-educational and clinical intervention within milieu therapy
   • Multimodal Family Intervention: Provides differential interventions for various situations of parental dynamics 12
3. Comprehensive Treatment Approach:
   • Individual therapy for the alienating parent
   • Clear communication from the alienating parent’s attorney that the damaging behavior must cease
   • Reunification therapy for the alienated child and rejected parent

In severe cases of alienation where there is total rejection of a parent, temporary removal of the child from the alienating parent is considered essential, with research showing this can be accomplished with excellent results 11.

Prevention Strategies

Prevention of parental alienation requires proactive measures:

• Establishing clear co-parenting agreements that include equal parenting time
• Setting geographic limitations to ensure continued access
• Ensuring joint decision-making on important matters
• Specifying communication rights between parents and children
• Utilizing parent training classes
• Making the most of parenting time to build strong relationships
• Using technology to maintain connection when physically separated