Parental Alienaiton Syndrome: An Age-Old Custody Problem

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a situation where a child is manipulated to think that one parent is good and the other is bad. This can happen in families that are together or split up. The child might act out against the “bad” parent, sometimes getting physical symptoms like headaches or not eating. They might also act friendly towards the “bad” parent when they’re alone, but not in front of the other parent. This situation puts the child in a tough spot, where they can’t win no matter what they do, and it can lead to them having confused thoughts. Leaving a child in a situation where one parent tries to turn them against the other parent is really damaging. The child can become anxious, isolated, and depressed, and may start to feel a lot of self-hatred and shame. They could also become withdrawn and develop manipulative traits. It’s not just the parent’s fault – the child may have their own reasons for getting involved. The parent may have their own reasons too, like feeling inadequate or wanting revenge. The alienating parent may try to manipulate the child by using tactics like making the child feel like they need protection, making the child feel like they have to choose sides in a parental conflict, or making the child believe that the other parent is a bad person. The other parent may also have their own motives, and the child may be coping with their own issues. It can be hard to prove these allegations in court, especially when there are no witnesses, but it’s important to consider all perspectives. People with Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) or similar conditions can be convincing liars and manipulators. They may try to prevent contact with the other parent and make false claims of not sharing parental responsibilities. They often succeed in court, causing the other parent emotional and financial distress. It can be hard to prove PAS in court, but there are signs to look for, such as contradictory statements from the child or the alienating parent, spying on the targeted parent, the child repeating the alienating parent’s views, and the child speaking only positively about the alienating parent and negatively about the targeted parent. Despite PAS not being widely accepted in the legal field, courts have made decisions based on evidence of the behavior associated with PAS. Alienation happens gradually, and the child needs time with both parents to heal the relationship. The alienating parent tries to manipulate time to brainwash the child. It’s important for the court to act quickly to prevent further alienation and to make sure the child has a good relationship with both parents. This is the best for the child unless there is abuse. Parents should only have unequal access to their children if there is proof of abuse or consistent bad judgment. Without this rule, it’s hard to know the truth because there will always be accusations without evidence. Both parents should share responsibility for their kids unless there’s a good reason not to. If one parent tries to control access to the children, the court can make a detailed plan for visitation and make sure everyone follows it. The plan can include a neutral place for visitation, a person to supervise the visits, and help from the police if a parent doesn’t follow the plan. The plan can also give the non-residential parent permission to be involved in the child’s school life. Everyone involved in decisions about the child must allow the nonresidential parent to be involved. The court will enforce this and may impose penalties for not following the rules. Lawyers and psychologists have a role in making sure everyone follows the rules and works together for the child’s best interests. The lawyer for the parent who wants to spend time with their child will have an easier time finding clients, while the lawyer for the other parent will have a harder time. Both lawyers need to work together to make sure both parents and the child have someone to represent them in court. They also need to bring in a mental health expert who knows about family law and can figure out if one parent is trying to turn the child against the other parent. Once the expert has finished their evaluation, everyone involved can work together to come up with a plan to help the family get along better. If they still can’t agree, the court will have to step in and make a decision. The court wants the parents to try to work out their issues through mediation or negotiations before going to trial. If that doesn’t work, the judge knows a lot about what’s going on in the family and can use that information to make a plan to help fix things. The plan should focus on keeping the kids connected to both parents. It might also involve getting therapists for the parents and the kids, and having someone neutral to check on how things are going. Following this plan should help stop any issues with the kids feeling pressured and make the family stronger. These are articles and cases about Parental Alienation Syndrome, which is a situation where one parent turns their child against the other parent. The articles discuss how to recognize and treat this syndrome, and the cases are examples of legal battles related to it. There are also references to legal principles and practices related to the syndrome.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/parental-alienaiton-syndrome-an-age-old-custody-problem/