According to recent studies, over 22 million adults have been targets of parental alienation in the United States. An estimated 10 million adults have experienced what they perceive to be severe alienation from their children.
A study posted on ScienceDirect.com elaborates further on the intense mental health suffering that alienated parents undergo, such as episodes of severe depression and major trauma symptoms, along with the risk of committing suicide.
Divorce and custody cases only get worse if one parent creates a divide between the child and the other parent. This act induces harm to both the alienated parent and the innocent child.
Sometimes parents do this deliberately, but a lot of the time, it happens unconsciously. There is no formal law with regard to parental alienation, but family courts take it into consideration whenever making any sort of child custody decision.
Let’s discuss how parental alienation significantly affects custody cases.
Defining Parental Alienation
Parental alienation basically means that one parent tries to break down the child’s relationship with the other parent. Usually, the means of alienation are the most manipulative, designed to instill negativity.
Slight alterations in the child’s behavior, or even feelings, might occur toward the parent who is accused of alienating the child, often causing the parent to feel deeply wounded. Such behavior can arise out of the need to assert control either over the child or over the child’s thinking. It enhances conflicting emotions in the child.
Family law attorney Melissa D. Cianci says family lawyers can help you protect your parental rights and ensure that your child’s or children’s best interests are upheld before, during and after divorce.
Since parental alienation can cause profound injury to a child’s growth and emotional life, his or her parents should prioritize continuous communication and support, so the child will be healed, feel secure and loved.
Common Signs of Parental Alienation
You may actually find the child channeling hostility for one parent unjustly, usually paralleling the negative imagery of the other parent toward them.
A child may not want to see the alienated parent. A child may feel guilty for loving both parents equally or feel pressured to choose one parent over the other.
The child may level adult grievances, insinuating that they have engaged in inappropriate discussions, or may even appear unduly nervous about visits or drastically change his or her behavior toward the parent in question.
Impact on Children
Parental alienation is harmful to children and lasts for a long time. Over the years, the children may feel an increased amount of guilt and confusion inside. The internal confusion may eventually damage the child’s self-esteem to such a level that the child may even begin to doubt their self-worth and even their place in the family.
Misunderstanding a child who is affected by alienation from parents will take them further away from their friends. In some cases, the child will eventually stop hanging out with other people and refuse to engage in activities with them. The child may have trust issues and find it hard to enter into wholesome relationships.
He or she may feel anxiety, depression, or any number of mental disorders associated with being forced to choose sides. The child will encounter several challenges, especially since genuine feelings of longing for both parents will be formed.
Legal Implications of Parental Alienation
The custody cases become more entangled when they are marked by parental alienation. Parental alienation can significantly affect custody decisions, visitation rights, and other financial obligations. This behavior carries immense legal consequences.
The presence of parental alienation presents a serious matter in court since it damages the child’s relationship with one of their parents. If you are found to be exercising, contributing to, or passively observing the alienation, your custody orders may be altered. If this happens, you will hardly ever be allowed unsupervised visits with your child.
Parental alienation could potentially lead to legal repercussions and further distance from your child. Understand that the courts operate under the doctrine of serving the best interest of the child. The child’s beneficial relations with either parent are the deciding factors in the court’s decision-making process.
The sooner this matter is taken care of, the lesser will be the long-term consequences inflicted on the family.
Strategies for Addressing Parental Alienation
Parental alienation is an emotionally taxing experience. It may be hard to sort through, but it is important to do so for your child in a healthy way. Open the channels of communication with your child as much as possible. Do not restrict them from expressing their true feelings.
Keep your cool and be supportive. The court will have to recognize affection from both sides for both parents. Keep evidence of parental alienation and get professional help, therapy, or counseling, whichever applies. Work with the “alienating” parent whenever possible so that the two of you can attempt to present a united front against parental conflict.
Learn about parental alienation yourself and share what you know with others, helping you build up a support network. Through this approach, you help root your child in feelings of security and being connected, which can be used to reverse the damage of alienation.