Parental alienation describes deliberate actions by one parent to damage a child's relationship with the other parent, common during separation or custody disputes. Typical behaviors include limiting contact, exaggerating or fabricating flaws, and making the child feel guilty for loving the other parent. The label can be used strategically in court to portray protective parents as the problem and to deflect attention from abusive behaviors. Relying solely on the label risks oversimplifying complex abuse dynamics and shifts focus away from concrete actions that harm the child and the co-parent relationship.
Rory sat in her car, dreading what lay ahead. Another day off work and another day in court with her whispered who was fighting her for custody of their son. An hour later, the judge looked from Rory to her ex. She could practically hear him saying, "What now?" in his sigh. Her ex's lawyer rose and began a long soliloquy about his "poor client," now saddled with debt he can't pay off: "Ruining his credit, no doubt." Then, there was "this woman," who insisted on painting his "poor client" as a bad father. "All he wants to do is love his son," his lawyer continued. "What she is attempting is parental alienation."
Parental alienation is a term used to describe a situation in which one parent intentionally undermines or damages a child's relationship with the other parent, often during or after separation, divorce, or custody disputes. It typically involves one parent engaging in behaviors that manipulate the child into rejecting, fearing, or resenting the other parent without a valid reason. These behaviors can include limiting or interfering with contact between the child and the other parent, exaggerating or fabricating flaws about the other parent, and overall making the child feel guilty for loving the other parent.
She whispered to her lawyer, "He's twisting everything-he's the one who blocks calls, undermines me, and he tells our son I don't care about him!"
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