Parental alienation resources 2.pdf

Parental alienation
Resources

Parental alienation: in search of evidence / DOUGHTY, Julie; MAXWELL, Nina;
SLATER, Tom;
In: Family Law 48(10), October 2018, pp.1304-1307
As a result of intractable contact disputes in private law, especially those that involve
allegations of domestic abuse or parental alienation, taking up a great deal of court time,
efforts are being undertaken to emphasise the importance of early-fact finding hearings in
cases where such allegations or disputes facts about abuse or alienation arise. There are
myriad reasons why a child might be resistant to a contact arrangement. Assumptions of a
lack of agency in a child (especially pre-teens and teenagers) and coercion by one parent are
not helpful to anyone, as each case is different. It is therefore important to try to unpack the
concept of parental alienation. This article draws on a recent review of research surrounding
intractable contact disputes and parental alienation, as well as recent case law, to briefly
summarise the messages from historical and contemporary perspectives.

Parental alienation empirical analysis: child best interests or parental rights? /
NEILSON, Linda;
Fredericton: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, 2018.
48p
Vigorous debate and controversy surround the scientific validity of parental alienation
diagnoses and its associated assessment tools, particularly in connection with their
application in the legal system. While some experts contend that the concept has
demonstrated scientific validity, many academic researchers, mental health, and child experts
as well as experts in the domestic and family violence fields are expressing concern. In this
article I explore how Canadian courts are responding to parental alienation claims. The goal is
to assess empirically whether or not the academic and professional concerns of critics have
an empirical basis. We begin the report with a discussion of critical comments and concerns
reported in the academic and professional literature. The concerns and controversies are then
connected to an empirical analysis of 357 Canadian trial and appeal cases in which parental
alienation was claimed or found by a court. Excluding 15 cases that focused on professional
complaints associated with parental alienation, we find that one hundred and forty one of the
cases (41.5 %, almost one half) also involved claims of domestic violence and or child abuse.

Parental alienation - a systemic perspective / O'SULLIVAN, Brian;
In: Context 157; June 2018, pp.4-7
Practitioners are increasingly being faced with a phenomenon where children strongly align
themselves with one parent while rejecting the relationship with the other, previously-loved
parent. This occurs in the context of high-conflict relationship breakdowns often referred to as
'parental alienation'. This article provides a systemic theoretical perspective to enhance our
understanding and conceptualisation of family patterns and dynamics that result in the
globally-identified phenomenon of parental alienation.

Alienation: A view from the bridge / CHILD, Nick;
In: Context 157; June 2018, pp.22-25
This article explores a systemic approach to working with alienated families.

The challenges of working with parental alienation / ZIMMERMAN, Frankie; HILL,
Finella;
In: Context 157; June 2018, pp.26-31
This article explores the challenges of working with alienation from a systemic psychotherapy
perspective.

New perspectives on the alienation of children following conflictual parental
separation? / CANTWELL, Brian;
In: Seen and Heard Volume 28, Issue 3 - July 2018, pp.61-65
This article is written from the perspective of a social work trained practitioner with 30 years
experience in the field of separation and divorce. This practice background includes working
as a trainer in relation to high conflict separation work with Mediation Services and Cafcass,
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therapeutic work with children and families in CAMHS and a decade leading a multi-
disciplinary group of practitioners producing assessments for Courts in ‘intractable’ private law
disputes. Over the past 5 years I have worked in a variety of roles as a family consultant with
collaborative lawyers within the Resolution organisation.

Restoring confidence in family justice / MCFARLANE, Andrew;
In: Family Law 48(8), August 2018, pp.988-992
The transcript of an address to the Families Need Fathers conference in June 2018, this
article looks at parental responsibility, domestic abuse allegations, and parental alienation.

Review of research and case law on parental alienation: / DOUGHTY, Julie; MAXWELL,
Nina; SLATER, Thomas;
Cardiff: Cardiff University, 2018. 59p
This review of research, commissioned by Cafcass Cymru (Wales), is on the topic of parental
alienation and looks at both research and case law. The report begins with setting out the
relevant law and the context of the review, followed by a description of the methods used. The
research literature is then presented, followed by a case law review. The report ends with
some discussion, conclusions and key messages for practice.

The parental alienation syndrome: A family therapy and collaborative systems
approach to amelioration / GOTTLIEB, Linda;
Springfield, IL: Charles C.Thomas, 2018. 277p
In this book, the author attempts to resolve the controversies surrounding Parental Alienation
Syndrome (PAS) by providing substantial empirical evidence from her treatment cases in
support of the eight symptoms which child psychiatrist, Richard Gardner, had identified as
occurring in the PAS child, and she further exemplifies the commonality of the alienating
maneuvers among the alienating parents. The author redefines the typically-held
characterization of the parents' relationship as portrayed in the pertinent literature and
accepted by most PAS-aware professionals. Numerous case examples are explored: horrific
tales of manufactured child abuse; referrals to child protective services (CPS) resulting in
suspension of visits between targeted parents and their children; meritless reports to police
alleging domestic violence in support of orders of protection which slander and stigmatize
targeted parents; exclusionary tactics preventing targeted parents' involvement in their
children's medical, educational, social lives and activities; and depletion of targeted parents'
resources due to legal fees required to defend himself/herself and to obtain judicial
enforcement of parental rights. Ms. Gottlieb methodically documents that PAS is a form of
emotional child abuse of the severest kind. The author provides an unprecedented number of
treatment summaries, which demonstrate the effectiveness of structural family therapy in
treating the PAS family. To further elucidate the subject, the author interviewed several
matrimonial attorneys, Law Guardians, and forensic evaluators regarding their experiences
with PAS, and she incorporated their thoughts into her recommendations as to how the
mental health and judicial communities should resolve this situation in the best interests of the
child. "New Rules" are suggested which encourage a collaborative rather than an
adversarial approach to child custody. This book will be an excellent resource for parents who
are divorcing or are in conflict, for adult-child victims of PAS, for mature children of divorcing
parents, for judges, for Law Guardians, for matrimonial attorneys, for therapists, for child
protective personnel, for law enforcement----and for the professional rescuer who believes
that a child must be saved from a parent.

"What about my right not to be abused?": Domestic abuse, human rights and the
family courts / BIRCHALL, Jenny; CHOUDHRY, Shazia; NICHOLSON-PALLETT,
Phoebe;
Bristol: Women's Aid, 2018. 60p
This study examines women survivors of domestic abuse’s experiences through the lens of
human rights. Talking to survivors about rights – using plain language around the right to a
fair trial and the right to life – helped uncover problems with culture and practice in the family
courts that affect the courts’ ability to do justice, safeguard against further trauma, and
prioritise children’s safety. Problems encountered included evidence of domestic abuse not
being taken seriously, perceived gender discrimination, perceived stereotyping surrounding
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allegations of parental alienation, and safeguarding gaps around child contact. The study
includes a series of recommendations to tackle the problems found.

Parental denigration, a form of conflict that typically backfires/ ROWEN, Jenna;
EMERY, Robert
In: Family Court Review 56(2), April 2018 258-268
Parental denigration is a phenomenon characterized by disparaging comments made by one
parent about the other parent in front of their children. It is an emerging area of research with
implications that could either follow a parental alienation perspective or a conflict perspective.
In two prior studies of 648 and 994 young adults, denigration was found to be (1) measured
reliably and perhaps validly; (2) reciprocally occurring; (3) related to children feeling more
distant from both parents, particularly the more frequent denigrator; and (4) associated with
various measures of maladjustment. These results held in married and divorced families, for
mothers and fathers, in group and individual analyses, across own and sibling reports, and
across studies. In a new study, parents also showed agreement in reported denigration, with
divorced (particularly litigating) parents appearing motivated to underreport their own
denigration behaviors and overreport their co-parent's denigration behaviors. Across all
three studies, results consistently aligned with a conflict perspective and indicated that
denigrating one's co-parent appears to boomerang and hurt the parent's own relationship with
the children rather than distance children from the co-parent.

Better equipped? / ABRAHAMS, Joanna
In: Family Law Journal - 174, March 2018 pp.22-24
This article sets out Cafcass's plans to address obstructive parents with the High Conflict
Practice Pathway (HCPP), and questions whether more needs to be done.

Parental alienation, the impact on men's mental health/ SHER, Leo
In: International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health 29(3), 2017 1-5
Parental alienation is defined as a mental state in which a child, usually one whose parents
are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce, allies himself strongly with one parent
(the preferred parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent)
without legitimate justification. Parental alienation may affect men's mental health: a) parental
alienation negatively influences mental health of male children and adolescents who are
victims of parental alienation. Alienated children/adolescents display guilt, sadness, and
depressed mood; low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence; distress and frustration; lack of
impulse control, substance abuse and delinquent behavior; separation anxiety, fears and
phobias; hypochondria and increased tendency to develop psychosomatic illness; suicidal
ideation and suicide attempt; sleep and eating disorders; educational problems; enuresis and
encopresis; b) parental alienation negatively affects the mental health of adult men who were
victims of parental alienation when they were children and/or adolescents. Long-term effects
of parental alienation include low self-esteem, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, lack of trust,
alienation from own children, divorce, problems with identity and not having a sense of
belonging or roots, choosing not to have children to avoid being rejected by them, low
achievement, anger and bitterness over the time lost with the alienated parent; c) parental
alienation negatively influences mental health of men who are alienated from their children.
Fathers who have lost some or all contact with their children for months or years following
separation or divorce may be depressed and suicidal.

Mapping gender: shedding empirical light on family courts' treatment of cases
involving abuse and alienation / MEIER, Joan; DICKSON, Sean;
In: Law & Inequality 35(2), 2017, pp.311-334
This article provides an empirical view of family courts' treatment of custody cases involving
abuse and/or alienation claims. After a brief literature survey, the article describes the co-
authors’ pilot study, which begins empirical y mapping family courts’ uses of parental
alienation theory in abuse cases. The pilot results provide powerful preliminary empirical
validation of the growing number of strong critiques of family court practice in abuse cases.

Understanding parental alienation, learning to cope, helping to heal/ WOODALL, Karen;
WOODALL, Nick. - Springfield, IL: Charles C.Thomas, 2017. - 231p. -ISBN
9780398091750
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This book is intended for parents who are experiencing parental alienation, as well as for
mental health professionals, social workers or legal professionals working with families in
divorce. It aims to help the reader understand the unique dynamics of the child’s rejection and
provides practical advice on preparing for court including how to develop a chronology of
events and how to prepare a written submission. Specific guidance is also provided on how to
help alienated children heal through reunification.

Parental alienation, targeted parent perspective/ BALMER, Sian; MATTHEWSON,
Mandy; HAINES, Janet. - 2017. The version catalogued is the pre-publication original
dissertation.
In: Australian Journal of Psychology - Early view 1-94
The aims of the study were to determine targeted parent experiences of parental alienation
post-separation from the alienating parent, and to investigate common targeted parent
characteristics. The findings offered new insights into targeted parent appraisals of their
parental alienation experience. The results signified the seriousness of the impact of
exposure to parental alienation for targeted parents, and highlighted a need for empirical
research into the effectiveness of interventions and support services to assist targeted
parents.

Parental alienation - is it time to get Parliament involved? / ABRAHAMS, Joanna
In: Family Law 47(11) November 2017 1252-1254
This piece looks at the issue of parental alienation and its increased prominence in family law
cases. The author argues that there is still much work to be done to ensure it gets the
recognition both lawyers and their clients need, and that the Children Act 1989, contrary to
Parliament’s views, does not contain adequate provision to protect against the effects of
parental alienation or implacable hostility. The author goes on to ask whether parental
alienation should be addressed directly with legislation, and whilst there has been some
movement in regard to this, it is important that this topic is not lost or dismissed and that
progress is made. This article includes mention of Cafcass's work in parental alienation, in
particular its extensive library on the subject.

A phenomenological study of parental estrangement: / BEEBE, Patrick C.; SAILOR,
Joanni L.;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 58(S), 2017, 347-357
In the United States, the divorce rate is 40% to 50%, according to National Marriage and
Divorce Rate Trends (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Gaining an
understanding of the lived experience of parental estrangement for a child during the parental
divorce was the goal of this study. For the 9 adult participants who experienced parental
estrangement as children, each reported themes including anger, disappointment, isolation,
control, and impact. In this study, the predominantly alienating parent was the custodial
parent. The results indicated that it did not matter if the noncustodial parent lived down the
street or several states away; the estrangement that developed was the same for each of
them.

Adult report of childhood exposure to parental alienation at different developmental
time periods/ VERROCHIO, Maria Christina; BAKER, Amy J. L.; MARCHETTI, Daniela
In: Journal of Family Therapy, 10 Oct. 2017
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between exposure to Parental
Alienation (PA) at different developmental time periods and psychological maltreatment.
Three hundred and sixty-one adults in Chieti, Italy completed an anonymous and confidential
paper and pencil survey regarding their childhood exposure to twenty PA behaviours across
three developmental time periods as well as a measure of psychological maltreatment by
each parent. Results revealed that exposure to PA at each time period was significantly
associated with psychological maltreatment. Moreover, the number of time periods of
exposure to PA (from 0 to 3) was associated with psychological maltreatment. This was true
for PA by mothers and PA by fathers. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Practitioner points Mental health professionals can use the results of this study to guide their
intervention efforts Co-parenting educators can incorporate these results into their routine
efforts to help parents be aware of PA and its effects Targeted parents can use these findings
to make the case for timely legal and mental health interventions
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Parental alienation or justifiable estrangement? Assessing a child's resistance to a
parent in the UK/ WHITCOMBE, Sue
In: Seen and Heard Volume 27, Issue 3 September 2017 31-47
This article looks at the issue of parental alienation in detail. It describes symptomatic
behaviours in the child, normal child behaviours and child abuse, parental and contextual
factors, alienating behaviours, estrangement, assessment, case management, and
interventions.

Powerless to protect: The experiences of alienated parents in the UK / WHITCOMBE,
Sue;
In: Maltrattamento e abuso all'infanzia 19(1), 2017, pp.47-66
Parental alienation is the unwarranted denigration or rejection of a parent where there was a
previous loving relationship. Despite thirty years of study establishing its aetiology,
prevalence, appropriate interventions and outcomes for children, parental alienation remains
a highly contentious concept in the UK. Additionally, there has been minimal exploration of
the experiences of alienated parents across the globe. A recent Q analysis uncovered the
subjective and intersubjective experiences of British alienated parents. An unexpected
consensus became apparent which merited further analysis of the data. Through this
phenomenological exploration of the participants’ narratives, a pervasive sense of
"powerlessness" emerged. The source of this felt sense of powerlessness is considered and
recommendations for policy and practice are suggested.

Overcoming parent-child contact problems, family-based interventions for resistance,
rejection and alienation/ JUDGE, Abigail M.; DEUTSCH, Robin. - New York, NY : Oxford
University Press, 2017. - 334p. ISBN 9780190235208
In recent years there has been heightened interest in the clinical and legal management of
families in which children resist contact with one parent and become aligned with the other
following divorce. Families affected by these dynamics require disproportionate resources and
time from mental health and legal professionals, and cases require a specialized clinical
approach. Traditional models of individual and family therapy are not designed to address
these issues, and strategies and resources for mental health and legal professionals have
been extremely limited. Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems describes interventions
for families experiencing a high conflict divorce impasse where a child is resisting contact with
a parent. It examines in detail one such intervention, the Overcoming Barriers approach,
involving the entire family and combining psycho-education and clinical intervention. The book
is divided into two parts: Part I presents an overview of parental alienation, including clinical
approaches and a critical analysis of the many challenges associated with traditional
outpatient family-based interventions. Part II presents the Overcoming Barriers approach,
describing core aspects of the intervention and ways to adapt its clinical techniques to
outpatient practice. Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems is geared toward mental
health clinicians and legal professionals who work with families in high conflict and where a
child resists visitation with a parent.

Parental alienation: the impact on men’s mental health/ SHER, Leo.
In: International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health 29(3), 2017
Parental alienation is defined as a mental state in which a child, usually one whose parents
are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce, allies himself strongly with one parent
(the preferred parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent)
without legitimate justification. Parental alienation may affect men's mental health: a) parental
alienation negatively influences mental health of male children and adolescents who are
victims of parental alienation. Alienated children/adolescents display guilt, sadness, and
depressed mood; low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence; distress and frustration; lack of
impulse control, substance abuse and delinquent behavior; separation anxiety, fears and
phobias; hypochondria and increased tendency to develop psychosomatic illness; suicidal
ideation and suicide attempt; sleep and eating disorders; educational problems; enuresis and
encopresis; b) parental alienation negatively affects the mental health of adult men who were
victims of parental alienation when they were children and/or adolescents. Long-term effects
of parental alienation include low self-esteem, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, lack of trust,
alienation from own children, divorce, problems with identity and not having a sense of
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belonging or roots, choosing not to have children to avoid being rejected by them, low
achievement, anger and bitterness over the time lost with the alienated parent; c) parental
alienation negatively influences mental health of men who are alienated from their children.
Fathers who have lost some or all contact with their children for months or years following
separation or divorce may be depressed and suicidal.

New perspectives on the alienation of children following conflictual parental
separation? / CANTWELL, Brian;
Hexham: Brian Cantwell, 2017. 00-00
This article is written from the perspective of a social work trained practitioner with 30 years
experience in the field of separation and divorce. This practice background includes working
as a trainer in relation to high conflict separation work with Mediation Services and Cafcass,
therapeutic work with children and families in CAMHS and a decade leading a multi-
disciplinary group of practitioners producing assessments for Courts in ‘intractable’ private law
disputes. Over the past 5 years I have worked in a variety of roles as a family consultant with
collaborative lawyers within the Resolution organisation.

Recommendations for best practice in response to parental alienation: findings from a
systematic review / TEMPLER, Kate; MATTHEWSON, Mandy; HAINES, Janet & COX,
Georgina
In: Journal of Family Therapy 39(1), February 2017 pp. 103-122
This study aimed to systematically review the literature pertaining to parental alienation to
determine best practice for therapists and legal practitioners. Medline, Embase, and
PsycINFO academic databases, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and
conference abstracts were searched. Included articles were peer reviewed journal articles or
books published in English pertaining to a psychological or legal intervention for parental
alienation. Ten articles were included in the review. It was found that changes in custodial or
residential arrangements in favour of the targeted parent are effective in ameliorating parental
alienation. Specialized family therapy addressing the alienation is effective in restoring family
relationships and family functioning. A coordinated approach from therapists and legal
practitioners is important in resolving parental alienation.

Narratives of attachment and processes of alienation in post-divorce parenting
disputes / BARNES, Gill Gorell
In: Narrative therapies with children and families: a practitioner’s guide to concepts
and approaches ED: Vetere, Arlene & DOWLING, Emilia
Abingdon: Routledge, 2017
This chapter looks at various narratives of attachment and processes of alienation in post-
divorce parenting disputes.

Parental alienation: targeted parent perspective/ BALMER, Sian; MATTHEWSON,
Mandy; HAINES, Janet.
In: Australian Journal of Psychology, 17 Mar. 2017
Objectives The aims of the study were to determine targeted parent experiences of parental
alienation post-separation from the alienating parent, and to investigate common targeted
parent characteristics. Method A total of 225 targeted parents completed an online survey.
Results Targeted parents reported experiencing high severity of exposure to parental
alienation tactics. Targeted parent sex and targeted child age significantly predicted variance
in exposure to parental alienation. Targeted mothers experienced significantly higher severity
of exposure to parental alienation than targeted fathers. Severity of exposure to parental
alienation tactics significantly predicted increases in the appraisal of the parental alienation
situation as threatening. Conclusions The findings offered new insights into targeted parent
appraisals of their parental alienation experience. The results signified the seriousness of the
impact of exposure to parental alienation for targeted parents, and highlighted a need for
empirical research into the effectiveness of interventions and support services to assist
targeted parents.

Prevalence of parental alienation drawn from a representative poll/ HARMAN, Jennifer
J.; LEDER-ELDER, Sadie; BIRINGEN, Zeynep
In: Children and Youth Services Review - 66; July 2016 pp.62-66
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The current work is the first known representative poll of adults (N = 610) aimed at
determining the prevalence of parental alienation. Parental alienation describes actions that a
parent takes to intentionally, or unintentionally, distance a child (or children) from the other
parent (Darnell, 1998). Results revealed that 13.4% of parents (or 9.03% of the entire sample)
have been alienated from one or more of their children. Our findings suggest that tens of
millions of adults and their children may be impacted by parental alienation, which is much
higher than previous estimates. Furthermore, findings show evidence of parental alienation
across all socio-economic and demographic indicators. However, when compared to Census
estimates of different demographic groups in the U.S. population, targeted parents were over-
represented among Blacks/African Americans and Native Americans, and those with only a
high school diploma level education. The sheer magnitude of parental alienation uncovered in
this study indicates the need for more attention to be paid to this important and pervasive
problem.

The linkage between parental alienation behaviors and child alienation/ EICHLER, Amy
In: Journal of Divorce and Remarriage 57(7), 2016 pp. 475-484
One hundred and nine college students completed an anonymous and confidential survey
regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienation strategies by each parent as well as
their own actions and attitudes toward each parent. Results revealed statistically significant
associations between parental alienation behaviors and behaviors of an alienated child, even
after controlling for the quality of parenting of the rejected parent. The findings are discussed
in light of attachment theory, social learning theory, and family systems theory.

When courts accept what science rejects: custody issues concerning the alleged
"parental alienation syndrome" / CLEMENTE, Miguel & PADILLA-RACERO, Dolores
In: Journal of Child Custody 13(2-3), 2016 pp. 126-133
“Parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) is unscientific and is an affront to children, women who
hold the custody of children of separated couples, science, human rights, and the justice
system itself. Justice, to be just, should be based on scientifically proven theories and
evidence. This article describes investigations carried out to show that two of the principles
that underpin PAS are false: That children lie when pressed (alienated in the terminology of
PAS), and that the principle that should guide judges’ actions for the good of the child should
be that for the child to always be in contact with both parents. The results of these
investigations show that these two principles are false and advocates the use of truly scientific
proceedings for judges to grant custody in case of dispute between parents, as well as for
determining the visitation for the noncustodial parent.

Recommended treatments for “Parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) may cause
children foreseeable and lasting psychological harm / DALLAM, Stephanie & SILBERG,
Joyanna
In: Journal of Child Custody 13(2-3), 2016 pp. 134-143
The coercive and punitive “therapies” recommended for children diagnosed with parental
alienation constitute an ethical minefield and are especially inappropriate when used on
children who have already been traumatized. Forced reunification against a child’s wil and
without taking into consideration the child’s point of view and emotional wel -being, can be
expected to reinforce a sense of helplessness and powerlessness in an already vulnerable
child. Such “treatment” can be expected to do more harm than good, and rather than helping
their well-being, could cause lasting psychological harm, particularly when imposed upon
children who claim the parent they are being forced to reunify with is abusive.

Examining the validity of parental alienation syndrome / O’DONOHUE, William;
BENUTO, Lorraine & BENNETT, Natalie
In: Journal of Child Custody 13(2-3), 2016 pp. 113-125
“Parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) is a phrase first coined by Dr. Richard Gardner. Since
its inception several scholars have reviewed and criticized this construct, and it has never
been accepted by the scientific community as a legitimate scientific construct, as a syndrome
or as a mental disorder. Despite its general rejection as unscientific, the construct of PAS at
times continues to be used in legal settings as if it has an adequate foundation within science,
clinical, or forensic practice. This commentary briefly reviews past critiques of PAS and
describes several additional problems that have occurred with the use of this construct.
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When a child rejects a parent: working with the intractable resist/refuse dynamic /
WALTERS, Marjorie Gans
In: Family Court Review 54(3), July 2016 pp. 424-445
A subgroup of intractable families, in which a child refuses postseparation contact with a
parent, perplexes and frustrates professionals who work with them. This article discusses the
underlying forces that drive the family's intractability, as well as guidelines for working with the
family. The guidelines include specific court orders developed from the very beginning of the
case that elaborate the court's stance about goals and expectations for the family, along with
specialized individual and family therapies that are undertaken within a framework of planned
collaboration with the court. The collaborative team of legal and mental health professionals
works in an innovative and active way to structure, support, and monitor the family's progress
in resolving the resist/refuse dynamic

Parental alienation: surely the time has come to effect change? / EATON, Deborah;
JARMAIN,K Stephen & LUSTIGMAN, Lisa
In: Family Law 46(5), May 2016 pp. 581-585
Dealing with the causes and consequences of parental alienation is one of the most difficult
tasks faced by the Family Court. The law reports are littered with cases in which parents
have, through no fault of their own, been unable to maintain relationships with their children,
even with the support of the family justice system behind them. Practitioners and judges
sometimes feel powerless to assist, despite it being apparent that the child involved is
suffering harm. This article discusses parental alienation syndrome, what can be done to
improve outcomes for children and alienated parents, and the role of the court.

Making contact happen in chronic litigation cases: a mentalising approach / ASEN, Eia
& MORRIS, Emma
In: Family Law 46(4), April 2016 pp. 511-515
This paper describes an innovative approach to assist the outcome of entrenched private law
contact and residence disputes where dependent children are caught up in their parents'
'chronic' acrimonious relationship. In these high conflict cases, children frequently side with
their resident parent and refuse to have direct or indirect contact with the other parent.
Sometimes the children's response to contact, or even the prospect of contact, is so extreme
it can resemble what one might call a 'parent phobia'. Court-appointed experts are often
asked to provide opinions about contact for such families. Here, we outline the first of a two-
phase 'therapeutic assessment model' developed by a specialist team at the Anna Freud
Centre in London. The model is designed to facilitate contact in such cases by enhancing all
family members' ability to mentalise themselves and others, whilst simultaneously assessing
the parents' and children's capacity to change.

Risks to professionals who work with troubled and alienated parent-child relationships
/ WARSHAK, Richard
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 44(3), 2016 pp. 111-128
Working with children who have irrationally rejected a parent is an emerging area of practice
with unique risks. The dynamics that drive false allegations about a parent also drive
accusations against professionals who participate in a process to reunify the children with that
parent. This article discusses protective measures to reduce risks of false accusations,
character assassination, harassment, and violence. Recommendations are offered for
organizations charged with investigating complaints. Agencies that do an inadequate job of
handling such complaints may harm the public by driving innovators from the field and
reducing the availability of programs that have helped many families.

Parenting plan evaluations, applied research for the family court/ DROZD, Leslie;
SAINI, Michael; OLESEN, Nancy. 2nd ed
New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016
Parenting Plan Evaluations has become the go-to source for the most current empirical
evidence in the field of child custody disputes. Fully updated in this Second Edition, the
volume continues its focus on translating and implementing research associated with the
most important topics within the family court. It presents an organized and in-depth analysis of
the latest research and offers specific recommendations for applying these findings to the
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issues in child custody disputes. Written by international experts in the field, chapters cover
the most important and complex issues that arise in family court, such as attachment and
overnight timesharing with very young children, co-parenting children with chronic medical
conditions and developmental disorders, domestic violence during separation and divorce,
alienation, gay and lesbian co-parents, and relocation, among others. This volume assists
forensic mental health professionals to proffer empirically based opinions, conclusions, and
recommendations and assists family law judges and attorneys in evaluating the reliability of
the information provided to the courts by mental health professionals in their reports and
testimony. Not just for forensic evaluators, Parenting Plan Evaluations is a must-read for legal
practitioners, family law judges and attorneys, and other professionals seeking to understand
more about the science behind parenting plan evaluations.

Getting through my parents' divorce: A workbook for children coping with divorce,
parental alienation, and loyalty conflicts / BAKER,Amy J L; ANDRE,Katherine;
Oakland, CA: Instant Help Books, 2015. 114p
Is your child stuck in the middle of a high-conflict divorce? In Getting Through My Parents'
Divorce, two psychologists and experts in parental alienation offer a fun and engaging
workbook to help kids work through stressful or confusing emotions and feel safe and loved—
no matter what. This workbook includes a number of helpful suggestions to guide children
though a number of possible scenarios, such as what to do if one parent says mean and
untrue things about the other parent; what to do if a parent asks them to keep secrets from
another parent; or what to do if one parent attempts to replace the other parent with a new
spouse.

An attachment-based model of parental alienation/ CHILDRESS, C. A. Claremont, CA :
Oaksong Press, 2015
The construct of "parental alienation" has a controversial history. An attachment based model
of "parental alienation" brings the controversy to an end. An attachment-based model of
"parental alienation" uses established constructs and principles of professional psychology to
fully describe the psychological and interpersonal processes that create the symptom features
of "parental alienation." By defining "parental alienation" within standard and established
psychological principles and constructs, an attachment-based model identifies a set of
specific diagnostic indicators that can reliably identify "parental alienation" while differentiating
"parental alienation" from other sources of parent-child conflict. An attachment-based model
for the construct of "parental alienation" also identifies specific domains of professional
expertise and knowledge necessary for the professionally competent diagnosis and treatment
of this special population of children and families. Children deserve a childhood free from the
stress of their parents' conflict, and parents deserve to love and be loved by their children. An
attachment-based model of "parental alienation" represents an important step in creating a
solution to the family tragedy of "parental alienation" in highconflict divorce.

Contrasting complex with highly complex contact disputes between parents /
LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 56(7), 2015 pp. 590-594
This article discusses the complexity of seeking a solution to problems associated at times
with parental alienation. Two scenarios are presented. Both cases involve a child who does
not wish to have contact with an absent parent after the separation of the parents due to
implacable hostility between them. In the first case, the child had a good relationship with the
now absent parent. In the second case the child never had a close relationship with the
absent parent. Each case needs to be assessed on its own merits. Conclusions are drawn
and recommendations are made as to how to deal with such issues.

A qualitative study of child custody evaluators’ beliefs and opinions / SANDER, Leslie
et al.
In: Journal of Child Custody 12(3-4), 2015 pp. 205-230
Practices in child custody evaluations have created controversy and debate among
professionals. Semi-structured interviews of 10 highly experienced child custody evaluators
were analyzed to gain an understanding of the evaluation process, changes in the field, and
evaluators’ opinions and beliefs, especial y concerning intimate partner violence (IPV) and
parental alienation. Although a small qualitative sample, multiple evaluators had extreme
9

beliefs and opinions about the prevalence of IPV in child custody cases, the belief that there
is no such thing as parental alienation syndrome (PAS), and the need to differentiate between
alienation and estrangement. Evaluators continue to value the ability of parents to co-parent
as a top variable for making custody recommendations, seemingly regardless of alleged or
substantiated IPV. Other concerning themes were identified and theoretical problem areas
are discussed.

Family reflections, a promising therapeutic program designed to treat severely
alienated children and their family system/ REAY, Kathleen
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 43(2), 2015 197-207
Parental alienation is a form of child psychological abuse and traditional therapeutic
approaches do not work with these types of cases. This article provides explanation for the
gross failure of traditional therapeutic approaches. The rest of the article discusses the Family
Reflections Reunification Program (FRRP), specifically designed to treat severely alienated
children and their family system. This program was piloted in 2012 with 22 children in 12
families. Evaluations at the end of the retreat and at 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, and 12-
month follow-ups demonstrate a 95% success rate in re-establishing and maintaining a
relationship between children and once-rejected parents.

How can the process of parental alienation and the alienator be effectively treated? /
LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 56(8), 2015 pp. 657-662
This article discusses primarily approaches or methods in dealing with a parent who alienates
a child against another parent due to the hostility developed following divorce and separation.
The basic vision or aims for combating parents in conflict are delineated. This is followed by
the importance of being aware of the problems resulting in parental alienation (PA). To
overcome PA an orderly set of stages from soft options to severe strategies are presented,
with reasons for the use of the more severe method being provided. Finally, there is an
appeal to the family courts and its judges to consider seriously the conclusions reached by
one expert witness in how to combat PA by considering first and foremost the short- and long-
term needs of the child and secondarily the alienated parent.

Are children susceptible to manipulation? The best interest of children and their
testimony / CLEMENTE, Miguel & PADILLA-RACERO, Dolores
In: Children and Youth Services Review 51; April 2015 pp. 101-107
In Richard Gardner's proposed parental alienation syndrome, children reject contact with the
noncustodial parent due to manipulation from the custodial parent. We investigated whether
children are, in fact, easily manipulated, and how. Half of a sample of children ages 6 to 12
witnessed an incident of verbal aggression, while the other half did not. All were asked to
report what happened. Half were then subjected to high pressure, stating that the aggressor
would be their future teacher. Subjects were furthermore told that the perpetrator was either a
good person or a bad person. After these two manipulations they reported again what they
had witnessed. The results indicate that children rarely lie, and that although 40% of those
who witnessed nothing created a false memory of an aggressive incident, this outcome was
not influenced by the degree of pressure or positive or negative manipulation. We found no
significant differences based on gender or age. We conclude that Gardner's ideas about
parental alienation syndrome, and in particular the ease of parental manipulation of children,
were not empirically verified. We recommend that this concept not be used in the legal
system

Understanding and working with the alienated child / WOODALL, Karen
In: Seen and Heard 24(2), June 2014 pp. 37-48
This article looks at how parental alienation can be dealt with. The author argues that deeper
assessment, therapeutic support and robust judicial control are almost always necessary in
cases of parental alienation, alongside child-focused interventions.

Exploring the lived experiences of psychologists working with parental alienation
syndrome / VILJOEN, Marile & VAN RENSBURG, Esme
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 55(4), 2014 pp. 253-275
10

Divorce is a common modern phenomenon. Changes in legislation to support the best-
interest-of-the-child principle are argued to have escalated conflict between parents during
custody disputes. Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a controversial concept in high-
conflict divorces and has received both praise and criticism over the past 2 decades. This
study explores the experiences of psychologists working with PAS in private practice. A
snowball sample (n = 8) of psychologists willingly participated in the study. Data collection
took place by means of in-depth interviews. Transcribed data were analyzed by means of
thematic analysis, and themes and subthemes were derived. The 2 main categories that
emerged were the participants’ general understanding of PAS and the operational and
practical experiences working with PAS. The participants working with PAS referred to it as
complex and destructive. The involvement of lawyers, parental pathology, and legislation all
contribute to the complex task of intervening in cases where PAS is present. The impact of
working with such a complex phenomenon has emotional effects like self-doubt,
disappointment, and anxiety. In some cases, this resulted in an active decision on the part of
the psychologist not to work with forensic cases any more.

Parental alienation gradient: strategies for a syndrome / LOPEZ, Teresa Junco;
IGLESIAS, Victoria & GARCIA, Paula Fern’ndez
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 42(3), 2014 pp. 217-231
Two factors were analyzed in 72 divorced couples: the fact of having custody of the children
or not, and the sex of the parent granted the custody. These factors influence the use of 27
different alienation strategies selected for study by the authors. The results show that the fact
of having custody or not affects the number and type of alienation strategies used, whereas
sex of the parent with custody only appears to affect the kinds of strategies used. This marks
a qualitative difference between custody-holding men and women in relation to the way they
exercise alienation.

The chameleon child: children as actors in the high conflict divorce drama / GARBER,
Benjamin
In: Journal of Child Custody 11(1), 2014 pp. 25-40
Contemporary theory asserts that children become triangulated into their parents' conflicts
due to alienation, estrangement, and enmeshment. These dynamics account for some
children's alliance with one parent and rejection of the other. The present article suggests that
the child's innate need to adapt and the caregivers' corresponding needs for confirmation
together create an additional dynamic that must be considered as part of any family system
evaluation. The “chameleon child” engages in necessary and natural short-term adaptive
behaviors at unknown developmental costs. An observational protocol is described with which
evaluators can begin to distinguish among these dynamics. Case illustrations are provided.

Children held hostage, identifying brainwashed children, presenting a case, and
crafting solutions/ CLAWAR, Stanley S.; RIVLIN, Brynne V. - 2nd ed. - Chicago, IL:
American Bar Association, 2013. - 530p. ISBN 9781627221559
In this book, the authors use important new research involving over 1,000 families to
demonstrate that children can and are being used by parents in the divorce battle. Their
research shows how negative actions by parents toward their children show up in court
proceedings where children testify or are questioned by mental health professionals. The
major issue in confronting this problem of programmed and brainwashed children has been
identification of a child alienated by one parent against the other; proving it in court; and then
finding a solution that not only works, but that a court will buy into. This updated edition of
Children Held Hostage explains these issues in detail, with practice-focused explanations on
every step in the process. The authors offer further insights into gender issues and
differences. Other new material includes a social-psychological profile of programmers
and brainwashers; identification of the most commonly asked questions by judges, target
parents, lawyers and children; an expanded social explanation to the causes, impact, and
interventions; development of an abductor profile; charts to visualize key findings and
processes; and much more.

Parental alienation, the handbook for mental health and legal professionals/
LORANDOS, Demosthenes; BERNET, William; SAUBER, S Richard. - Springfield, IL:
Charles C.Thomas, 2013. - 535p; includes 1 CD-ROM. ISBN 9780398088811
11

This handbook acts as a reference guide to aid mental health and legal professionals in
developing data sources to support their positions in reports and testimony regarding the
important and ever increasing area of behavioural science and law, parental alienation. It
provides ready access to state of province (United States specific) legal citations, and
contains a supplemental reference guide on CD-ROM.

Bala parental alienation study, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia/ BALA,
Nicholas; HUNT, Suzanne; MCCARNEY, Carrie; ASHBOURNE, Christine; GWYNNE,
Erin
Kingston, Ont: Queen's University, Canada, 2013
Using databases of judicial decisions from Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, from
1984-2012, searching terms "parental alienation", "alienated child", "alienated", etc., cases
were combed through to determine whether they represented cases where the court dealt
with an issue of alienation. Those cases that were found to have dealt with parental alienation
were studied and analyzed.

Working with alienated children and families: a clinical guidebook / BAKER, Amy &
SAUBER, S Richard
New York, NY: Routledge, 2013
This edited volume is written by and for mental health professionals who work directly with
alienated children and their parents. The chapters are written by leaders in the field, all of
whom know how vexing parental alienation can be for mental health professionals. No matter
how the professional intersects with families affected by alienation, be it through individual
treatment, reunification therapy, a school setting, or support groups, he or she needs to
consider how to make proper assessments, how to guard against bias, and when and how to
involve the court system, among other challenges. The clinical interventions presented in this
book will help professionals answer these questions and help them to help their clients. The
authors present a range of clinical options such as parent education, psycho-educational
programs for children, and reunification programs for children and parents.

Parental alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11: response to critics /
In: The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 41(1), 2013, pp.98-
104
There has been considerable interest among forensic practitioners in the proposals that
parental alienation be included in the next editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Diseases (DSM) and The International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However,
there has also been a great deal of misunderstanding about the proposals, and
misinformation has been expressed in professional meetings, on
websites, and in journal articles. In this article we address four common misunderstandings
regarding parental alienation: that there is a lack of research to support it as a diagnosis; that
adopting parental alienation as a diagnosis will lead to serious adverse consequences; that
the advocates of parental alienation are driven by self-serving or malevolent motives; and that
Richard Gardner should be criticized for self-publishing his description of parental alienation
syndrome.

Italian college student-report childhood exposure to parental alienation, correlates with
well-being/ BAKER, Amy J L; VERROCCHIO, Maria Christina
In: Journal of Divorce and Remarriage - 54(8), 2013 pp.609-628
Two hundred and fifty-seven undergraduate psychology students in Chieti, Italy completed an
anonymous and confidential survey regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienation,
psychological maltreatment, and measures of current functioning. Results revealed high
levels of reported exposure to parental alienation behaviors by those whose parents divorced
or separated and by those who reported that--regardless of marital status--their parents'
relationship was "very bad." Those with any exposure to parental alienation reported higher
rates of parental psychological maltreatment, lower rates of parental caring, as well as poor
functioning with respect to self-esteem, depression, adult attachment styles, alcohol abuse,
self-direction, and cooperation. These findings support the theory that parental alienation
represents a risk factor for compromised outcomes across the life span.

Is the concept of parental alienation a meaningful one? / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
12

In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 54(8), 2013 PP. 658-667
Many members of the judiciary do not yet accept the concept of parental alienation (PA) or
parental alienation syndrome (PAS). It has not as yet been included in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–5 or International Classification of Diseases–11. This
article discusses the concept of PA as meaningful and resulting from serious conflict before,
during, and after separation of parents. It results in a child failing to have good contact with
the now absent parent, despite the fact that the child previously had a good relationship with
that parent. The concept of PA is defined and is differentiated into types. The behavior of the
alienator and the alienated parent is described. The incidence, symptoms, and diagnosis of
PA is also delineated, as are the long-term effects and treatment of PA.

Enforcing child contact orders: are the family courts getting it right? / TRINDER, Liz;
MACLEOD, Alison, PEARCE, Julia; WOODWARD, Hilary & HUNT, Joan
In: Family Law 43(9), September 2013 pp. 1145-1149
There are long-standing concerns that courts fail to enforce their own orders in child contact
cases following parental separation. Part of the problem has been that the available sanctions
- fines, imprisonment or change of the child's residence - may be impractical or contrary to the
child's welfare. The Children and Adoption Act 2006 sought to address this by introducing a
new sanction of unpaid work (community service) for a defaulting parent. This new sanction
has been rarely used. The Coalition government is now considering other policy options. To
date, however, there has been no research on enforcement to inform policy-makers about the
nature of the cases or the approach of the family courts. This article summarises findings from
the first ever empirical study of enforcement in England based on analysis of 215
enforcement cases. It finds that most enforcement cases are about mutual conflict, risk and
child refusal of contact rather than implacable hostility of the resident parent. The courts
generally take an appropriately problem-solving rather than a punitive approach to these
cases. There is no evidence that further punitive sanctions would be more widely used or
more appropriate or more effective

Children who resist postseparation parental contact: a differential approach for legal
and mental health professionals / FIDLER, Barbara Jo; BALA, Nicholas & SAINI,
Michael
New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2013
Interest in the problem of children who resist contact with or become alienated from a parent
after separation or divorce is growing, due in part to parents' increasing frustrations with the
apparent ineffectiveness of the legal system in handling these unique cases. There is a need
for legal and mental health professionals to improve their understanding of, and response to,
this polarizing social dynamic. Children Who Resist Post-Separation Parental Contact is a
critical, empirically based review of parental alienation that integrates the best research
evidence with clinical insight from interviews with leading scholars and practitioners. The
authors - Fidler, Bala, and Saini - a psychologist, a lawyer and a social worker, are an
multidisciplinary team who draw upon the growing body of mental health and legal literature to
summarize the historical development and controversies surrounding the concept of
"alienation" and explain the causes, dynamics, and differentiation of various types of parent-
child relationship issues. The authors review research on prevalence, risk factors, indicators,
assessment, and measurement to form a conceptual integration of multiple factors relevant to
the etiology and maintenance of the problem of strained parent-child relationships. A
differential approach to assessment and intervention is provided. Children's rights, the role of
their wishes and preferences in legal proceedings, and the short- and long-term impact of
parental alienation are also discussed. Considering legal, clinical, prevention, and intervention
strategies, and concluding with recommendations for practice, research, and policy, this book
is a much-needed resource for mental health professionals, judges, family lawyers, child
protection workers, mediators, and others who work with families dealing with divorce,
separation, and child custody issues.

The attitude of the Shari’a courts to parental alienation syndrome: understanding the
dynamics of the syndrome in Arab society / GITH, Emad
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 54(7), 2013 pp. 537-549
In addition to the many factors leading to parental alienation syndrome (PAS), including the
narcissistic injury felt by the abandoned parent, or the custodial parent's personal difficulty,
13

there are further factors unique to Arab society—including strong influence by the extended
family on the child. Although all the components of PAS exist and are well known to the
shari'a courts, no parallel concept is found in the Arab legal lexicon. This article presents 1
case of a shari'a court hearing that illustrates this phenomenon. The conclusions indicate that
the shari'a court considers this a serious phenomenon and sees coping with the situation as
an essential and preliminary condition to the custody hearing.

Differentiating alienated from not alienated children: A pilot study / BAKER,Amy J L;
BURKHARD,Barbara; ALBERTSON-KELLY,Jane;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 53(3), 2012, 178-193
The subjects of this study were 40 consecutive children in a child therapy and evaluation
agency, half of whom were seen for reunification therapy and half for other reasons related to
parent–child difficulties in the context of high-conflict divorce. Children completed a 28-item
paper-and-pencil questionnaire regarding their thoughts and feelings about their parents to
assess the degree to which their statements reflected unjustified alienation from one parent
and alignment with the other. Responses to the questionnaires were coded by the first author
as reflective of alienation or not. Case files were independently reviewed by agency staff for
presence of indicated abuse, and clinicians independently rated
the children's resistance to treatment services. Findings revealed that presence of alienation
was found in all but one reunification therapy case and in only four of the nonreunification
cases. In addition, the children who were coded as exhibiting alienation were rated by their
clinicians as significantly more resistant to treatment. Only one alienated child had an
indicated abuse or neglect finding in the file, as opposed to five in the not-alienated group.
These data highlight the unique configuration of behaviors and attitudes of alienated children
and contribute to the knowledge base about how to evaluate and identify them.

The life paths and lived experiences of adults who have experienced parental
alienation: a retrospective study / GODBOUT, Elisabeth; PARENT, Claudine;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 35(1), 2012, 34-54
This qualitative study concerns the life paths and lived experiences of 6 adults who have been
alienated from a parent in the past. The results suggest several hypotheses concerning the
factors that might place children at risk of being alienated from a parent. The presence of
postseparation conflict and, in some cases, domestic violence, as well as the triangulation of
the child appear to be elements that favor the emergence of parental alienation. Moreover,
this study supports a multifactorial explanation of parental alienation. In the scope of lived
experience, respondents associated alienation with difficulties at school, internal and external
behavior problems, and a search for identity after reaching adulthood. Finally,
overcoming the state of alienation involves issues surrounding the establishment of
boundaries with the alienating parent and the rebuilding of a relationship with the alienated
parent.ma

Is parental alienation disorder a valid concept? Not according to scientific evidence. A
review of parental alienation, DSM-5 and ICD-11 by William Bernet PEPITON, M
Brianna et al.
In: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 21(2), 2012 pp. 244-253
This article reviews a recent book arguing how a concept known as parental alienation
syndrome—now parental alienation disorder—should be included in official
psychiatric/psychological and medical classification diagnostic manuals. Anecdotal cases and
opinion are presented as research and scientific evidence, and stories are presented as
research studies. In addition, the book often contradicts itself in different sections. The author
is not familiar with scientific methodology, confuses various statistical and research
procedures and terminology, and thus misleads the reader in trying to promote this theory.
This book's claim that it is the most comprehensive compilation of the evidence supporting
parental alienation disorder/parental alienation syndrome is false, and it is not recommended
by the reviewers.

The experience of motherhood for alienated mothers / FINZI-DOTTAN, Ricky;
GOLDBLATT, Hadass & COHEN-MASICA, Orlee
In: Child and Family Social Work 17(3), August 2012 pp. 316-325
14

The concept ‘parental alienation syndrome’ (PAS) refers to child visitation interference with
the non-resident parent following divorce. The refusal of children to maintain contact with
mothers may be particularly traumatic because of social expectations surrounding women’s
maternal responsibilities. This qualitative study sought to examine the experience of being an
alienated mother, how it impacts her identity as a mother and a woman, as well as its impact
on her life as a whole. Data were collected by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10
women whose children refused any contact with them. Findings revealed a main theme,
‘merging vs. detachment’, referring to an ongoing struggle that the women had experienced
throughout their lives. This consisted of 4 subthemes: marriage as an illusion of salvation from
an abusive home; giving birth to a child as compensation for chaotic childhood experiences;
husband exploiting and abusing their sense of failing motherhood; and the husband and
mother-in-law expelling the mother. These findings were interpreted within the framework of
Bowen's theory. The interpretation suggests that impairment in the mothers' and ex-
husbands' differentiation of the self is manifest in the shattered mother–child relations and in
the mothers' loss of their children in the struggle with their mothers-in-law. Implications for
practice are included.

The long-term correlates of childhood exposure to parental alienation on adult self-
sufficiency and well-being/ BENAMI, Naomi; BAKER, Amy J L
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 40(2), 2012 169-183
In this retrospective study, we examined several long-term psychological correlates of
experiencing parental alienation (PA) as a child, defined as reporting that one parent tried to
undermine the child's relationship with the other parent. Differences between those who did
and did not endorse having this experience were measured on self-sufficiency and four
aspects of well-being: alcohol abuse, depression, attachment, and self-esteem. Results
indicated significant associations between perceived exposure to parental alienation as a
child and lower self-sufficiency, higher rates of major depressive disorder, lower self-esteem,
and insecure attachment styles as adults. This research suggests that there are significant
long-term psychological associations in the lives of adults who experienced parental
alienation as children, which created observable vulnerabilities that differ from normative
divorce situations.

Complex alienation dynamics and very young children/ LUDOLPH, Pamela; BOW,
James
In: Journal of Child Custody 9(3), 2012 153-178
Infants and preschoolers living in families beset by alienation dynamics are widely thought to
resist alienation because of their immature emotional and cognitive abilities. Most writers also
agree, however, that these children remain at significant risk for later consolidated alienation if
family circumstances are not expeditiously changed. We address the resiliency and risk of
very young children in the face of alienation, drawing on the literatures of attachment theory,
child development, family systems, cognition, memory, and high conflict divorce. We also
explore issues important to a thorough evaluation in these families and make suggestions as
to effective treatments.

Child contact disputes between parents and allegations of sex abuse: what does the
research say? / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 53(3), 2012 pp.194-203
This article is written by a psychologist practicing in the area of clinical and forensic
psychology. He has written widely in the area of child sex abuse, including a book entitled
Paedophilia. He has dealt with many cases of parental alienation where sex abuse by one
parent has been alleged. The object of this article is to try to provide a way of clarifying
whether or not sexual abuse has occurred between an adult and a child, especially when
implacable hostility exists between the parents who have parted. It is at such times that many
custodial parents make allegations of sexual abuse against a now-absent parent, usually the
father, to prevent access. It is important to protect children from actual sex abuse when it has
occurred and to prevent this from reoccurring. It is, however, equally important not to allow
false sexual allegations against a former partner who might have done nothing wrong but
carried out his role as a caring and loving parent. The appendices of the article consist of an
inventory that can be used by practitioners to differentiate true from false sex abuse
allegations especially in relation to parental alienation conflicts.
15

The essentials of parental alienation syndrome (PAS): it’s real, it’s here and it hurts /
EVANS, Robert & BONE, J Michael
Palm Harbor, FL: The Center for Human Potential of America, 2011
Looks at all aspects of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), making the distinction between
PAS and Parental Alienation.

To turn a child against a parent is to turn a child against himself: the direct and indirect
effects of exposure to parental alienation strategies on self-esteem and well-being /
BAKER, Amy & BEN-AMI, Naomi
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 52(7), 2011 pp. 472-489
Direct and indirect effects of exposure to 19 parental alienation strategies in 118 adult
children of divorce were examined via a confidential and anonymous computer survey. We
investigated the nature and prevalence of alienation strategies to which this sample was
exposed as well as associations between exposure and self-esteem and self-sufficiency. In
turn, we examined and found associations between self-esteem and higher rates of
depression and insecure attachment styles and a trend for an association with alcohol abuse.
All effects were found even after controlling for histories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and
psychological maltreatment. These findings add to the growing body of evidence regarding
the long-term consequences of experiencing parental alienation and indicate that in general,
exposure to more alienation behaviors leads to more negative outcomes in children of
divorce, which can be seen across the life span.

The psychosocial treatment of parental alienation / DARNALL, Douglas
In: Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 20(3), 2011 pp. 479-494
Parental alienation occurs in divorces when one parent indoctrinates the child to dislike, fear,
and avoid contact with the other parent. Mental health professionals who treat children and
adolescents are likely to encounter victims of parental alienation in clinical practice, and it is
important to identify and treat these youngsters earlier, when the condition is mild, rather than
later, when the parental alienation is almost intractable. This article presents an overview of
the treatment of parental alienation, which is called reunification therapy. All the parties
involved in the case have a role in the prevention and treatment of parental alienation.

What if the custodial parent refuses to cooperate with child contact decisions? /
LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 52(5), 2011 pp. 322-325
This article considers the failings at present of the judicial system in not being even handed in
providing justice for the noncustodial parent, who has for whatever reason been ousted from
the relationship and has poor, if any, contact with his or her children. The advice being
provided by the current psychologist dealing with such cases is for the judiciary to adopt a
much firmer approach. This will lead to the judiciary being respected rather than being
considered unjust. The article is concerned with severe parental alienation and provides a
solution to the situation to prevent further emotional abuse of children against an absent
parent. The author encourages mediation to commence with and then continue when making
decisions as to who should have custody of the children who have been emotionally abused
via an alienating parent.

Intractable contact disputes - the extreme unreliability of children's ascertainable
wishes and feelings: (based on lectures given to the Judicial Studies Board 2010-11) /
WEIR, Kirk;
In: Family Court Journal 2(1), 2011, pp.1-8
The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the current practice of routinely seeking to
establish the wishes and feelings of children caught in high conflicts over contact and
residence may be a potential harm to the child and of dubious value. The basis for this
opinion is many years of providing expert reports in contested cases in the civil courts of
England and Wales, and in particular on the author’s experience of insisting that children
should be seen with the non resident parent as an essential part of assessments in high
conflict cases.

16

High-conflict contact disputes: evidence of the extreme unreliability of some children’s
ascertainable wishes and feelings / WEIR, Kirk
In: Family Court Review 49(4), October 2011 pp. 788-800
This article challenges an increasing orthodoxy regarding the weight which courts might place
upon the expressed views of children in a specific situation high-conflict contact disputes. I
am a child psychiatrist who acts as an expert witness within the family courts of England &
Wales. I have conducted a statistical analysis of cases in which I have conducted
assessments of children caught in such disputes between their separated parents. Fifty-eight
children met the criteria for inclusion in the study the child's consistent opposition to contact
with the non resident parent (NRP), despite the court having determined that there was no
good reason to constrain contact. My assessment routinely included attempted observation of
the child at a visit with the NRP. Despite their stated views most children had a positive
experience in those visits that took place, and despite the fact that most had not seen the
NRP for a long time. Overall there was a statistical association between increased resistance
to contact and the greater age of the child and the longer the time during which no contact
had occurred. However, the responses of children and young people were unpredictable and
it was impossible to conclude that apparent maturity or intelligence was a guide to the
reliability of their expressed resistance. The possible reasons for this unreliability are
discussed. I emphasize that my sample of children is unusual as many of the cases had
involved serious, though unfounded, allegations of abuse. In addition most of the children
showed indications of having become alienated from the NRP. I conclude that courts might
exercise caution when evaluating the views of children and young people in this situation, and
emphasises that assessors should consider including at least one observation of the child at a
prolonged visit to the NRP. Because of the new orthodoxy some parents may be tempted to
misuse their child's right to a voice in court in order to achieve their own ends. Practitioners
who advise courts may need to be more aware of these difficulties.

Parental alienation and the dynamics of the enmeshed parent-child dyad:
adultification, parentification, and infantilization / GARBER Benjamin
In: Family Court Review 49(2), April 2011 pp. 322-335
When caregivers conflict, systemic alliances shift and healthy parent-child roles can be
corrupted. The present paper describes three forms of role corruption which can occur within
the enmeshed dyad and as the common complement of alienation and estrangement. These
include the child who is prematurely promoted to serve as a parent's ally and partner, the
child who is inducted into service as the parent's caregiver, and the child whose development
is inhibited by a parent who needs to be needed. These dynamics—adultification,
parentification and infantilization, respectively—are each illustrated with brief case material.
Family law professionals and clinicians alike are encouraged to conceptualize these dynamics
as they occur within an imbalanced family system and thereby to craft interventions which
intend to re-establish healthy roles. Some such interventions are reviewed and presented as
one part of the constellation of services necessary for the triangulated child.

Toward the differentiation of high-conflict families, an analysis of the social science
research and Canadian case law/ BIRNBAUM, Rachel; BALA, Nicholas
In: Family Court Review 48(3), July 2010 pp. 403-416
Social science research and the courts have begun to recognize the special challenges posed
by "high-conflict" separations for children and the justice system. The use of "high conflict"
terminology by social science researchers and the courts has increased dramatically over the
past decade. This is an important development, but the term is often used vaguely and to
characterize very different types of cases. An analysis of Canadian case law reveals that
some judges are starting to differentiate between various degrees and types of high conflict.
Often this judicial differentiation is implicit and occurs without full articulation of the factors that
are taken into account in applying different remedies. There is a need for the development of
more refined, explicit analytical concepts for the identification and differentiation of various
types of high conflict cases. Empirically driven social science research can assist mental
health professionals, lawyers and the courts in better understanding these cases and
providing the most appropriate interventions. As a tentative scheme for differentiating cases,
we propose distinguishing between high conflict cases where there is: (1) poor
communication; (2) domestic violence; and (3) alienation. Further, there must be a
17

differentiation between cases where one parent is a primary instigator for the conflict or
abuse, and those where both parents bear significant responsibility.

Parental alienation: Canadian court cases 1989-2008 / BALA, Nicholas; HUNT,
Suzanne; McCARNEY, Carolyn;
In: Family Court Review 48(1), 2010, pp.164-179
To gain a sound understanding of the dynamics and best responses to cases of children
resisting contact with a parent, it is necessary to consider both the legal and psychological
aspects of the situation. There is a small but important and growing body of empirically based
psychological research about children resisting contact with parents, but there have been no
published empirically based studies of the responses of the family justice system to such
cases. This article is intended to begin to address this lacuna in the literature, reporting on a
study of all reported Canadian cases between 1989 and 2008 that dealt with claims of
“alienation” of children in the context of parental separation. The use of the concept of
“alienation” in Canadian courts increased dramatically over these two decades, but this study
reveals a complex and multifaceted set of cases with a range of responses depending on the
judicial perceptions and the resources of the parents.

Parental alienation disorder: why label children with a mental diagnosis? / WALKER,
Lenore & SHAPIRO, David
In: Journal of Child Custody 7(4), 2010 pp. 266-286
The proposal to include Parental Alienation Disorder (PAD) in the new proposed Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) creates a host of problems.
The first major problem is the labeling of children with a mental disorder who may simply be
reacting with anger to the changes in their lives from the separation and divorce of their
parents by rejecting one parent and aligning with the other. Diagnosis may bring with it shame
and have a chilling impact on parents report of domestic violence. Although proponents of
PAD are aware that it is inappropriate to diagnose children who have been exposed to child
abuse and/or domestic violence with PAD, they do not clarify how to make such differential
diagnoses. It is suggested that there are insufficient empirical data to differentiate abused and
traumatized children from those who are alienated or estranged from the rejected parent. Nor
are there sufficient scientific data to account for other child vulnerabilities such as neurological
immaturity, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), other anxiety and mood
disorders, or oppositional defiant disorder. There are too few comparisons between the risks
and benefits of adding a new diagnosis of childhood disorders to justify its inclusion in the
DSM-V. Appropriate intervention strategies recommended for PAD children include contact
with the rejected parent, which differ widely from trauma victim/survivors who need assurance
of safety and healing before contact is re-established. Ethical standards that may be impacted
by this new diagnosis and admissibility issues raised by its predecessor, Parental Alienation
Syndrome (PAS), are also discussed by the authors.

Attachment theory and parental alienation / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Journal of Divorce and Remarriage 51(3), 2010 pp. 157-168
Following an acrimonious divorce or separation, arguments are frequently presented as to
why a child should not be with a nonresident parent. The custodial parent, whether a father or
a mother, uses the concept of a child being attached to himself or herself and therefore this
should prevent the child from having actual or reasonable contact with the absent parent. This
view is based on antagonism between the former partners rather than the importance of the
attachment theory being relevant. The attachment theory is also used to discredit the
intentions of the noncustodial parent. This is especially the case for the younger child. With
older children this is not likely to be as relevant. The history of the development of the
attachment theory commencing with Bowlby and Ainsworth is presented, and the
counterarguments are also presented. Attachment to the mother is obviously important
initially but attachment to the father is equally important to the child and such bonding is likely
to lead to positive emotional and behavioral development. It is therefore argued that both
fathers and mothers have an important role to play and are, or should be, responsible for the
rearing of children. The acrimony between the couple should not be considered as relevant as
it is, in fact, the real reason why attachment theory is used against a nonresident parent.

18

Family bridges: using insights from social science to reconnect parents and alienated
children / WARSHAK, Richard
In: Family Court Review 48(1), January 2010 pp. 48-80
This article describes an innovative educational and experiential program, Family Bridges: A
Workshop for Troubled and Alienated Parent-Child RelationshipsTM, that draws on social
science research to help severely and unreasonably alienated children and adolescents
adjust to court orders that place them with a parent they claim to hate or fear. The article
examines the benefits and drawbacks of available options for helping alienated children and
controversies and ethical issues regarding coercion of children by parents and courts. The
program's goals, principles, structure, procedures, syllabus, limitations, and preliminary
outcomes are presented. At the workshop's conclusion, 22 of 23 children, all of whom had
failed experiences with counseling prior to enrollment, restored a positive relationship with the
rejected parent. At follow-up, 18 of the 22 children maintained their gains; those who relapsed
had premature contact with the alienating parent.

Children resisting postseparation contact with a parent, concepts, controversies, and
conundrums/ FIDLER, Barbara- Jo; BALA, Nicholas
In: Family Court Review 48(1), January 2010 pp. 10-47
This article provides an overview of the key concepts, themes, issues, and possible mental
health and legal interventions related to children's postseparation resistance to having contact
with one parent. We maintain that the too often strongly gendered polemic on alienation and
abuse is polarizing and needs to be replaced with a more nuanced and balanced discussion
that recognizes the complexity of the issues so that the needs of children and families can be
better met. This article reviews the historical development of the concept of alienation;
discusses the causes, dynamics, and differentiation of various types of parent child contact
problems; and summarizes the literature on the impact of alienation on children. These are
complex cases. A significant portion of the cases in which alienation is alleged are not in fact
alienation cases; for those where alienation is present, interventions will vary depending on
the degree of the alienation. More severe alienation cases are unlikely to be responsive to
therapeutic or psycho-educational interventions in the absence of either a temporary
interruption of contact between the child and the alienating parent or a more permanent
custody reversal. We conclude with a summary of recommendations for practice and policy,
including the need for early identification and intervention to prevent the development of
severe cases, interdisciplinary collaboration and further development and research of
interventions.

Jaffe, Peter G.; Ashbourne, Dan & Mamo, Alfred A.
EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND PREVENTION OF PARENT–CHILD ALIENATION: A
FRAMEWORK FOR BALANCING RISKS AND BENEFITS OF INTERVENTION
Family Court Review 48(1) 2010 pp. 136-152
Offers a new framework to prevent parental alienation occurring.

Bala, Nicholas; Hunt, Suzanne & McCarney, Carolyn
PARENTAL ALIENATION: CANADIAN COURT CASES 1989–2008
Family Court Review 48(1) 2010 pp. 164-179
This article looks at the role of parental alienation in the Canadian family law system.

Intervention strategies for parent coordinators in parental alienation cases / ELLIS,
Elizabeth & BOYAN, Susan
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 38(3), 2010 pp. 218-236
Families characterized by parental alienation present problems that are extremely difficult to
resolve through conventional methods of family therapy. Court appointed parenting
coordinators (P.C.) are in the very best position to make effective interventions in these
cases. The authors use genograms to illustrate the difficulties of establishing normal visitation
and re-negotiating binuclear families in five different cases: (1) Divorced family, minimal
conflict, (2) Divorced family, conflicted relationship, (3) Divorced family, child in alignment with
mother, (4) Divorced family, child estranged from father, and (5) Divorced family, parental
alienation. The authors then use the genograms to suggest interventions for PC's in five
areas: (1) Creating a buffer zone to facilitate crossing the co-parental boundary, (2) Helping
the child separate from the enmeshment with the alienating parent, (3) Blocking intrusions
19

from the alienating parent, (4) Strengthening the bond with the targeted parent, and (5)
Weakening the coalition around the alienating parent-child dyad.

Friedlander, Steven & Walters, Marjorie Gans
WHEN A CHILD REJECTS A PARENT: TAILORING THE INTERVENTION TO FIT THE
PROBLEM
Family Court Review 48(1), 2010 pp. 98-111
Looks at Multi-Modal Family Intervention (MMFI)

Parental alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11: / BERNET, William; VON BOCH-GALHAU,
Wilfrid; BAKER, Amy J L; MORRISON, Stephen L.;
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 38(2), 2010, pp.76-187
Parental alienation is an important phenomenon that mental health professionals should know
about and thoroughly understand, especially those who work with children, adolescents,
divorced adults, and adults whose parents divorced when they were children. We define
parental alienation as a mental condition in
which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict divorce—allies
himself or herself strongly with one parent (the preferred parent) and rejects a relationship
with the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. This process leads
to a tragic outcome when the child and the alienated parent, who previously had a loving and
mutually satisfying relationship, lose the nurture and joy of that relationship for many years
and perhaps for their lifetimes. The authors of this article believe that parental alienation is not
a minor aberration in the life of a family, but a serious mental condition. The child's
maladaptive behavior—refusal to see one of the parents—is driven by the false belief that the
alienated parent is a dangerous or unworthy person. We estimate that 1% of children and
adolescents in the U.S. experience parental alienation. When the phenomenon is properly
recognized, this condition is preventable and treatable in many instances. There have been
scores of research studies and hundreds of scholarly articles, chapters, and books regarding
parental alienation. Although we have located professional publications from 27 countries on
six continents, we agree that research should continue regarding this important mental
condition that affects hundreds of thousands of children and their families. The time has come
for the concept of parental alienation to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), and the International Classification of
Diseases, Eleventh Edition (ICD-11).

Finding a tenable middle space, understanding the role of clinical interventions when a
child refuses contact with a parent/ WALTERS, Marjorie Gans; FRIEDLANDER, Steven
In: Journal of Child Custody 7(4), 2010 287-328
This article provides a detailed explanation of the use of clinical interventions, such as the
Multi-Modal Family Intervention (MMFI), in situations where a child resists or refuses contact
with a parent. Geared toward a multidisciplinary audience of judicial officers, family law
attorneys, and mental health practitioners, the authors guide the reader through the
conceptual formulations of the ways these interventions can be helpful and then offer three
case examples that demonstrate the practical application of the concepts. The authors
believe that effective clinical intervention is essential in resolving the resistance/refusal
dynamic, and it also enables the child to experience and maintain a tenable space where
having relationships with both parents is possible.

The scientific basis of child custody decisions / GALATZER-LEVY, Robert; KRAUS,
Louis & GALATZER-LEVY, Jeanne
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, 2009
The legal system requires mental health professionals to provide research summaries to
support their evaluations in child custody cases. Contributions from leading developmental
researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians describe how scientific evidence is properly
used in court. The Second Edition adds chapters on family observation, parental alienation,
and sexual abuse.

Examining parental alienation in child custody cases: a survey of mental health and
legal professionals / BOW, James; GOULD, Jonathan; FLENS, James;
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 37(2), 2009, pp.127-145
20

An Internet survey was conducted to examine the views of mental health and legal
professionals about parental alienation (PA) in child custody cases. Findings from 448
respondents revealed much awareness about the PA concept and controversies, along with
the need for further research in the field. In general, respondents were cautious and
conservative/moderate in their view of PA and very reluctant to support the concept of
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). Also, they did not view PAS as meeting admissibility
standards. Respondents viewed domestic violence (DV) as an important issue to assess,
although they did not usually find/suspect DV in such cases. Further, respondents varied
according to professional role (evaluators, trial attorneys/judges, and court facilitators) on the
relative importance attributed to various assessment factors. Moreover, evaluators'
assessment procedures and the frequency of recommended interventions by trial
attorneys/judges and evaluators closely paralleled those typically used in child custody cases.
Results are compared to past literature in the field, with hopes of clarifying misconceptions.

A historical perspective on parental alienation syndrome and parental alienation /
MEIER, Joan
In: Journal of Child Custody 6(3-4), 2009 pp. 232-257
Claims of parental alienation syndrome (PAS) and parental alienation (PA) have come to
dominate custody litigation, especially where abuse is alleged. Although much psychological
and legal literature has critiqued PAS, and leading researchers as well as most professional
institutions have renounced the syndrome concept, alienation as a parental behavior or child's
condition continues to be extensively investigated and credited in research and forensic
contexts. This article reviews the history of PAS, both as posited by its inventor, Richard
Gardner, and as used and applied in courts, suggesting that it not only lacks empirical basis
or objective merit, but that it derives from its author's troubling beliefs about adult and child
sexual interaction. It then examines the more recent explorations of non-syndrome
“alienation” as proffered by Janet Johnston and others, noting both its more balanced and
grounded nature and its more modest remedial implications. However, the article concludes
that PA is too closely tied to PAS to be an adequate improvement. It, too, is used crudely in
courts to defeat abuse allegations, it continues to rely on speculations about mothers'
purported unconscious desires and their effects on children, and, more subtly than PAS, it
minimizes abuse and its effects on mothers and children. At root, although even PA
researchers have found it to be a real issue in only a small minority of contested custody
cases, courts' and evaluators' extensive focus on it in response to mothers' abuse allegations
continues to privilege false or exaggerated alienation concerns over valid concerns about
abuse

A guide to the "Parental Alienation Syndrome"/ WEIR, Kirk. - Edinburgh : Families
Need Fathers Scotland, 2009. - 10p
This guide looks at Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). It covers its definition, causes, and
symptoms, as well as providing some case examples.

In the name of the child: a developmental approach to understanding and helping
children of conflicted and violent divorce / JOHNSTON, Janet; ROSEBY, Vivienne &
KUEHNLE, Kathryn (2nd ed.)
New York, NY: Springer Publishing, 2009
The fully updated and revised edition of In the Name of the Child examines both the
immediate and long-term effects of high-conflict divorce on children. By combining three
decades of research with clinical experience, the authors trace the developmental problems
affecting very young children through adolescence and adulthood, paying special attention to
the impact of family violence and the dynamics of parental alienation.

Implacable hostility leading to parental alienation / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Justice of the Peace 22/3/2008 pp. 185-187
The author provides twenty four strategies for reducing the destructive effects of parental
alienation and parental alienation syndrome. There is emphasis on seeking to provide good
mediation and good contact between the non custodial parent and his/her child/children.

Reducing the hostility / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In; Justice of the Peace 17/5/2008 pp. 322-324
21

The author provides twenty four strategies for reducing the destructive effects of parental
alienation and parental alienation syndrome. There is emphasis on seeking to provide good
mediation and good contact between the non custodial parent and his/her child/children.

Understanding child alienation and its impact on families/ FIDLER, Barbara Jo; BALA,
Nicholas; BIRNBAUM, Rachel; KAVASSALIS, Katherine. - Toronto, Ontario : Thomson,
2008. - 203-229
In: 190961 - Challenging issues in child custody disputes
This chapter looks at child alienation and its impact on families.

184064
approach to evaluating for Parental Alienation Syndrome / ELLIS, Elizabeth
In: Journal of Child Custody 4(1-2), 2008 pp. 55-78
Parental alienation syndrome continues to be a term that is widely used in child custody
conflicts but which is also controversial. Previous authors have defined the term but have not
established a standardized assessment process for PAS. The author emphasizes the
importance of focusing on the child's behavior, then proceeding through a three step process:
(1) determining if the refusal of contact with the parent is extreme and the alienation is severe,
(2) determining if there is no basis for the extreme fear and anger toward the parent, (3) then
determining if the child meets at least 10 of the 15 criteria that are proposed. The assessment
process for each of the 15 criteria is outlined in detail with examples of each. Novel strategies
and interview questions are suggested. The author includes a supplemental section for
interview techniques that might be used with the alienating parent.

164541
Confusion and controversy in parental alienation / CLARKSON, Hugh; CLARKSON,
Dale. - 2007
In: Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 29(3 - 4), 2007 265-275
There is considerable confusion and debate about the best way to describe those cases
where a child refuses to have further contact with one parent following parental separation.
There are advocates for a syndromal approach and advocates for a continuum approach.
Moreover, there is also confusion between descriptions and explanations in the relevant
literature. Such confusion has caused problems for the courts when evaluating expert
evidence. This article reviews the available descriptions and explanatory formulations that
have been proposed.

Parental alienation syndrome: breaking the ties that bind / BAKER, Amy
New York, NY: W W Norton, 2007
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) occurs when divorcing parents use children as pawns,
trying to turn the child against the other parent. This book examines the impact of PAS on
adults and offers strategies and hope for dealing with the long-term effects

CONCEPTUALIZING VISITATION RESISTANCE AND REFUSAL IN THE CONTEXT OF
PARENTAL CONFLICT, SEPARATION, AND DIVORCE / Garber, Benjamin D.
In: Family Court Review 45(4) 2007 pp. 588-599
A child's visitation resistance and refusal (VRR) in the context of parental separation, divorce,
and post-divorce litigation must not prematurely be interpreted as evidence of alienation, a
conclusion which can be as detrimental to the family system as it is ill founded. The present
article proposes a child-centered, developmentally informed heuristic with which forensic
evaluators might begin to more uniformly approach the potential causes of and remedies for
VRR. An attachment-based, step-wise decision tree is described together with an overview of
the remedies presently believed most appropriate to each. Recommendations for empirical
study of the multiple convergent dynamics which determine VRR and establishment of
corresponding interventions follow.

Parental alienation, how to understand and address parental alienation resulting from
acrimonious divorce or separation / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig. - Lyme Regis: Russell
House Publishing, 2007. 208p. ISBN 978-1905541102
Drawing on international research, this book discusses the problems and suffering
22

encountered by parents and their children when parental alienation occurs and identifies the
signs of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PA S).

Alienated children and parental separation: legal responses in Canada’s family courts /
BALA, Nicholas & FIDLER, Barbara-Jo
In: Queen’s Law Journal 33(1), 2007 pp. 79-137
Looks at the approach to cases involving parental alienation in Canada.

Parental alienation syndrome and the transsexual parent/ GREEN, Richard.
In: International Journal of Transgenderism 9(1), 2006 pp.9-13
Transsexual persons are frequently married and are parents prior to the decision for gender
transition. Divorce and issues of child custody or child access follow. This typically volatile
area is made the more incendiary when one parent is transgendered. Parental Alienation
Syndrome is an unique alliance between one parent and child of denigration and hostility to
the other parent. When the transgendered parent is the target, Courts may collaborate in
destruction of the transsexual parent-child relationship.

Unadulterated Arrogance: Autopsy of the Narcissistic Parental Alienator / SUMMERS,
David; SUMMERS, Collette. - 2006
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 34(5), October-December 2006 399-428
This article guides professionals to recognize and gain insight of the inner dynamics and
profile of the narcissist and the chronic parental alienator, particularly within the context of a
divorce or custody dispute. It covers and exposes the commonalities of both their modus
operandi and characteristics. Parental Alienation stems from intolerance, denigration,
prejudice, and deep-seated dysfunction. The Narcissistic Parental Alienator is one who
systematically deceives and turns their own children into little abuser proxies. Narcissists lie,
manipulate, and speak in mixed messages. All too often mental health and legal professionals
and judges do not listen to the target parent and they are fooled or tolerate Narcissistic
Parental Alienators out of faith, trust and a sense of fairness. The Narcissistic Parental
Alienator’s deceit and defiance must be recognized and seen for what it is. Evaluators, courts,
and therapists, at that point, should consider this danger directly and act swiftly.

The alienated and aligned child: a best evidence review / COLDHAM, Paul
Northumbria University, 2006
This review explores what is known from the research evidence regarding a phenomenon
apparent within the family courts. Some children of separated parents are observed to
develop extreme alignments with one parent and reject the other parent without ambivalence
or remorse and often without any apparent good reason. This occurs in the context of
parental disputes over residence and contact in respect of the children of separated and
divorced parents.

Perceived parent-child alienation: empirical assessment of parent-child relationships
within divorced and intact families / MONE, Jennifer Gerber; BIRINGEN, Zeynep;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 45(3/4), 2006, 131-156
Parental alienation refers to a parent's attempts to distance a child from the child's other
parent. We examined (1) the effects of “feeling alienation” upon college students' recol ections
of their childhood relationships, (2) the effects of “feeling alienation” on perceptions of adult
parent-child relationships, and (3) the likelihood of alienation in intact and divorced families. A
sample of undergraduates (N = 227) completed the Relationship Distancing Questionnaire
and numerous other relationship questionnaires. Results suggested feeling alienation is
inversely related to the quality of parent-child relationships during childhood and young
adulthood and can be found in intact as well as divorced families. Findings also indicate
parental conflict is a better predictor of whether alienation occurs than parents' marital status
is.

Patterns of parental alienation syndrome: a qualitative study of adults who were
alienated from a parent as a child / BAKER, Amy
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 34(1), 2006 pp. 63-78
23

A qualitative retrospective study was conducted on 40 adults who experienced parental
alienation as a child. Individuals participated in one-hour, semi-structured interviews.
Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and submitted to a content analysis for primary themes
and patterns. Findings pertaining to the process of alienation from the targeted parent were
analysed for this article. Results revealed three distinct patterns of alienation (1) narcissistic
alienating mothers in divorced families, (2) narcissistic alienating mothers in intact families,
and (3) abusive/rejecting alienating mothers and fathers. Each of these patterns is described
in detail along with five additional notable findings: (1) Alcoholism, maltreatment, and
personality disorders co-occurred in most of the alienating families, (2) parental alienation
occurred in intact families, (3) parental occurred in non-litigious divorced families, (4) some of
the targeted parents appeared to play a role in their own alienation, and (5) the alienation was
not always completely internalised. The clinical and practical implications of these findings are
discussed.

The (de)construction of conflict in divorce litigation, a discursive critique of "parental
alienation syndrome" and "the alienated child"/ BLANK, G. Kim; NEY, Tara
In: Family Court Review : formerly : Family and Conciliation Courts Review 44(1),
January 2006 pp. 135-148
In high-conflict divorce litigation involving custody and access, mental-health professionals
are often used to assess the case and make recommendations. Using Foucauldian theories
of discourse, this article suggests that these assessments, which are intended to resolve the
conflict or offer profitable information, often participate in the conflict by constructing
assessments and diagnoses that fit with legal discourse, and thus with the outcomes of
adversarial-styled rulings and ideologically driven interests. This article suggests that so long
as such professionals are driven by the privileged discourse of law and
psychology/psychiatry, the best interests of those at the center of the conflict can have their
experience co-opted by the iatrogenic features of these discourses.

Allegations and substantiations of abuse in custody-disputing families/ JOHNSTON,
Janet; LEE, Soyoung; OLESEN, Nancy; WALTERS, Marjorie
In: Family Court Review : formerly : Family and Conciliation Courts Review 43(2), April
2005 pp. 283-294
In this study of 120 divorced families referred for child custody evaluations and custody
counseling, multiple allegations of child abuse, neglect, and family violence were raised in the
majority of cases. About half of the alleged abuse was substantiated in some way with one
fourth involving abuse perpetrated by both parents. Different kinds of allegations were raised
against mothers compared with fathers. Implications of these findings for social policy, family
court interventions, and the provision of coordinated services within the community are
discussed.

Is it alienating parenting, role reversal or child abuse? A study of children’s rejection of
a parent in child custody disputes / JOHNSTON, Janet; WALTER, Marjorie & OLESEN,
Nancy
In: Journal of Emotional Abuse 5(4), 2005 pp. 191-218
This study of custody disputing families tests competing hypothesis about the correlates of
children's alignment with one parent and rejection of the other. Hypotheses include: parental
alienation by the aligned parent; abuse by the rejected parent; and boundary diffision or role
reversal in the family.

Is it abuse, alienation and/or estrangement? A decision tree/ DROZD, Leslie; OLESEN,
Nancy
In: Journal of Child Custody 1(3), 2004 65-106
Allegations of family violence, child abuse, and alienation often occur in the same contested
child custody case. Custody evaluators often are poorly trained in forensic assessment of
allegations of domestic violence and allegations of alienation. The authors of this article
suggest language that is designed to differentiate between cases in which the term alienation
is appropriate, as in non-abuse cases, and when it is best to use other language such as
estrangement, sabotaging, and counter-productive protective parenting in cases where there
is abuse. This article describes a decision tree that is designed to assist evaluators in
identifying the causes of multiple allegations of maltreatment and abuse.
24

Parental conflict resolution, six-, twelve-, and fifteen-month follow-ups of a high-
conflict program/ NEFF, Ron; COOPER, Kat
In: Family Court Review 42(1), January 2004 pp. 99-114
Six-, 12-, and 15-month follow-up data are presented evaluating a program for high-conflict
parents. Funded by a grant from Health and Human Services, the program’s content reflects
an extensive review of research literature, including the relevant literature on personality
disorders. Introduced in Phoenix, Arizona in October 1999, the program has served more
than 1,000 families in several jurisdictions. Whereas other programs for entrenched, high-
conflict cases are typically time intensive, involving 2 to 6 months, this is a one-time 4-hour
program. As such, the authors are heartened to report a suprisingly positive—and enduring—
response from the parents.

Parental alienation in light of attachment theory / GARBER, Benjamin
In: Journal of Child Custody 1(4), 2004 pp. 49-76
Few ideas have captured the attention and charged the emotions of the public, of mental
health and legal professionals as thoroughly as the concept of parental alienation and
Gardner's (1987) Parental Alienation Syndrome. For all of this controversy, the alienation
concept stands outside developmental theory and without firm empirical support. The present
paper explores alienation and its conceptual counterpart, alignment, as the necessary and
natural tools of child-caregiver attachment (Ainsworth & Wittig, 1969; Bowlby, 1969) and of
family system cohesion. This conceptual foundation offers developmentalists, clinicians, and
family law professionals alike a common language and valuable instruments with which to
understand those relatively infrequent but highly charged circumstances in which these tools
are used as weapons, particularly in the context of contested custody litigation. The need to
establish baseline measures, child-centered interventions, and legal remedies anchored in
the attachment model is discussed.

Journal Article
Assessing mutual partner-abuse claims in child custody and access cases/ NEILSON,
Linda
In: Family Court Review 42(3), July 2004 pp. 411-438
This article explores issues associated with mutual claims of domestic violence in the context
of research on gender and violence, and in the context of litigation tactics commonly
employed by perpetrators in child custody and access cases. Quotations from parents
involved in such cases illustrate why accurate assessment of mutual claims requires complete
information about social context and the analysis of patterns of domination, power and control
in the relationship over time. Recent developments in Canadian law ought to enhance the
ability of judges to take such evidence into account. The article aims to provide a lens through
which to understand and assess such cases.

Commentary on Kelly and Johnston’s ‘The alienated child’ / GARDNER, Richard
In: Family Court Review 42(4), 2004 pp. 611-621
Offers thoughts on Kelly and Johnston's article - catalogued at 165080

Parental alignments and rejection: An empirical study of alienation in children of
divorce / JOHNSTON, Janet;
In: The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 31(2), 2003,
pp.158-170
This study of family relationships after divorce examined the frequency and extent of child-
parent alignments and correlates of children's rejection of a parent, these being basic
components of the controversial idea of "parental alienation syndrome." The sample
consisted of 215 children from the family courts and general community two to three years
after parental separation. The findings indicate that children's attitudes toward their parents
range from positive to negative, with relatively few being extremely aligned or rejecting.
Rejection of a parent has multiple determinants, with both the aligned and rejected parents
contributing to the problem, in addition to vulnerabilities within children themselves.

Parental Alienation Syndrome and alienated children, getting it wrong in child custody
cases/ BRUCH, Carol S.
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In: Child and Family Law Quarterly - Volume 14, Issue 4 – 2002 pp.381-400
This article examines mental health and legal responses when children resist visits with
noncustodial parents. In Parental Alienation Syndrome and Alienated Children, it finds a lack
of rigorous analysis that endangers children. The author concludes by suggesting better ways
to evaluate new theories from the social sciences.

Problems suffered by children due to the effects of Parental Alienation Syndrome
(PAS) / LOWENSTEIN, Ludwig
In: Justice of the Peace 15/6/2002 pp. 464-466
Describes the impact that relationship break-ups and adverse alienation procedures have on
the child or children from damaged relationships.

Parental Alienation Syndrome and UK family courts Part 2 / HOBBS, Tony
In: Family Law, May 2002 pp. 381-387
Continues from 134065 and discusses the legal issues where one parent has inappropriately
influenced the child(ren) of a broken marriage against contact with the non-residential parent.
The Court of Appeal has acknowledged the existence of parental alienation syndrome

Parental Alienation syndrome and UK family courts Part 1 / HOBBS, Tony
In: Family Law, March 2002 pp. 182-189
Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a psychological form of child abuse where one parent
seeks, deliberately or not, to alienate their children from the other parent. This can become
acute when contact orders following divorce are being decided by the courts. This article
discusses the medico-legal status. Continued at 134351

Journal Article
Resistance to visitation, rethinking parental and child alienation/ STOLTZ, Jo Anne;
NEY, Tara
In: Family Court Review 40(2), April 2002 pp. 220-231
The authors argue that current formulations of the problem of resistance to visitation in
separation and divorce are conceptually weak because they fail to take into account the
adversarial influence of the legal paradigm. First- and second-order change theory is used to
clarify the problem, and a new formulation is proposed that shifts the focus from the parent
and/or child exclusively to the resistance dynamic as a whole. General guidelines for
intervention are proposed based on a holistic, participatory model that takes into account the
tensions involved in working toward compliance while upholding the best interests of the child.

Assessing for alienation and access in child custody cases: a response to Lee and
Olesen / LAMPEL, Anita
In: Family Court Review 40(2), April 2002 pp. 232-235
Alienated children in high-conflict (HC) custody cases differ from nonalienated children in HC
custody cases. Efforts to assess and differentiate between the children should focus first, on
establishing what differences do exist and then on what psychometrics are of most help in the
assessment. Five categories of HC children and areas where HC children are all alike and
where alienated and nonalienated children differ are reviewed. Psychometrics appropriate for
the tasks of research and evaluation are proposed.

Legal and psychological management of cases with an alienated child / SULLIVAN,
Matthew & KELLY, Joan
In: Family Court Review 39(3), July 2001 pp. 299-315
Cases entering the family court with an alienated child require intensive and coordinated case
management to intervene effectively. It is critical to link the authority of the court with the
delivery of mental health services to address the complex systemic factors that may entrench
a chilďs unwarranted rejection of a parent. This article provides principles of legal and
psychological case management for families with an alienated child, followed by various
structural interventions, including sample court orders, for managing these cases as they
progress through the family court process. Finally, criteria for making custody
recommendations in the most severe cases of child alienation are provided.

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The alienated child, a reformulation of parental alienation syndrome / KELLY, Joan;
JOHNSTON, Janet. - 2001
In: Family Court Review 39(3), 2001 249-266
This article discusses controversies and problems with parental alienation syndrome. A
reformulation focusing on the alienated child is proposed, and these children and clearly
distinguished from other children who resist or refuse contact with a parent following
separation or divorce for a variety of normal, expectable reasons, including estrangement. A
systematic array of contributing factors are described that can create and/or consolidate
alienation in children, including intense marital conflict, a humiliating separation, parental
personalities and behaviours, protracted litigation and professional mismanagement. These
factors are understood in the context of the child’s capacities and vulnerabilities.

Journal Article
Should judges close the gate on PAS and PA?/ WILLIAMS, R. James
In: Family Court Review 39(3), July 2001 pp. 267-281
Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation are evolving clinical concepts. They
are controversial. Their limits, the limits of the legal system, and recent developments in the
use and admissibility of expert evidence call into question the appropriateness of their use
within the trial process.

Zirogiannis, Lewis
EVIDENTIARY ISSUES WITH PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME
In: Family Court Review 39(3), 2001 pp. 334-343
Expert testimony on unsubstantiated social science syndromes such as the Parental
Alienation Syndrome (PAS) has been increasingly admitted in courtrooms across the United
States. This is a problem because a trier of fact is making a determination based on theories
that are inaccurate or incorrect. To remedy this, the standards of admissibility for expert
testimony must be heightened. The broad discretion given to trial judges in determining
admissibility should be reevaluated and a new rule of evidence for social science testimony
should be adopted.

Therapeutic work with alienated children and their families/ JOHNSTON, Janet; GANS
WALTERS, Marjorie & FRIEDLANDER, Steven
In: Family Court Review 39(3), 2001 pp. 316-333
This article describes goals and strategies for family-focused counseling and therapy when
children are alienated from a parent after separation and divorce. The confidential intervention
takes place within a legally defined contract and is based on a careful assessment of the
dynamics of the multiple factors that contribute to the alienation and how the chilďs
development is affected. Strategies for forming multiple therapeutic alliances with often
reluctant, recalcitrant, and polarized parents are discussed together with ways of helping the
child directly.

Assessing for alienation in child custody and access evaluations / LEE, Margaret &
OLESEN, Nancy
In: Family Court Review 39(3), 2001 pp. 282-298
In-depth child custody evaluations can be critical in forming an accurate understanding of
families in which alienation of children is a concern. By integrating interview and psychological
test data of parents and children along with collateral information the evaluator can
differentiate an alienated child from children with other forms of parental rejection and can
form a thorough understanding of the multiple contributants to the alienation. This
comprehensive and integrated understanding is then used to develop a clear and specific
intervention plan.

159655
Research papers and articles on parental alienation syndrome: volume 1. -2000
This document brings together a number of papers on Parental Alienation Syndrome (PA S).

Research papers and articles on parental alienation syndrome: volume 2. - 2000
27

This document collects together a number of papers on Parental Alienation Syndrome (PA S).

The parental alienation syndrome: what is it and what data support it? /
FALLER,Kathleen Coulborn
In: Child Maltreatment 392), May 1998 pp. 100-115
This article describes the parental alienation syndrome, its proposed characteristics and
dynamics, and the methods used to document its presence. Research related to various
tenets of the parental alienation syndrome is then reviewed. Finally, the syndrome's utility for
mental health professionals and courts in explaining allegations of sexual abuse in situations
of divorce is evaluated.

Recent trends in divorce and custody litigation / GARDNER, Richard;
In: Academy Forum 29(2), Summer 1985, pp.3-7
During the last six to seven years there has been a burgeoning of child custody litigation. This
has been the result of two important changes in child custody determinations. The first relates
to the appreciation that the "tender years presumption" (in which the mother, by virtue of
being female, was automatically considered to be the preferable parent) was criticized by
fathers as being basically sexist. And the courts agreed. Accordingly, fathers no longer
passively accepted the fact that mothers would automatically be awarded custody and began
litigating for custody of their children. The second factor, which is even more recent, relates to
the increasing popularity of the joint custody concept. Designating one parent as the sole
custodial parent and the other as the visitor came to be appreciated as inegalitarian and ego-
debasing for the non-custodial parent. Although there is much to argue for the joint custody
concept, it has proved to be useful mainly for those who can cooperate and communicate well
and who are equally capable regarding parenting capacity. When these criteria are not
satisfied parents will commonly litigate in order to win joint custody. As a result of these two
developments the position of custodial mothers has become much more precarious. Whereas
previously they could rely upon the tender years presumption and the sole custody concept to
protect them from attempts on their husbands' part to gain custody, they now have no such
reassurances. Fathers know this well and have been litigating at an ever-increasing rate. The
psychological toll of this burgeoning litigation on both parents and children has been
formidable.
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