Parental Alienation is Real
Parental Alienation impacts millions of families. Learn about what it is and what the early signs look like.
What is Parental Alienation?
Parental Alienation is a type of child abuse where one parent uses control, usually during a divorce or separation, to turn their child against the other loving parent without a good reason.
There are two important things to understand about Parental Alienation. First, the parent doing the alienating (often called the targeting parent) manipulates the child with lies and negative stories about the other parent (the targeted parent) that are false, exaggerated, or twisted.
Second, these actions are not justified. The targeted parent, who is being kept away from their child, has not done anything to deserve this treatment. While no parent is perfect, in cases of Parental Alienation, the anger, hostility, and actions directed at the targeted parent are not warranted. Essentially, one parent uses the child as a tool against the other as a form of revenge.
Early Signs Of Being A Targeted Parent
Parental alienation can take root early in high-conflict separations or divorces, often marked by hostility and prolonged custody disputes.
Key warning signs include:
Subtle Undermining: The other parent begins to subtly criticize or discredit you in front of the child, often under the guise of casual comments or “jokes.”
Sudden Communication Barriers: Your usual lines of communication with the child—calls, texts, or visits—are suddenly disrupted or made more difficult without clear or valid reasons.
Shifts in Your Child’s Behavior: Your child may begin showing small but noticeable changes, such as reluctance to spend time with you, decreased affection, or acting nervous around you.
Increased Tension During Handovers: Transitions between parents become unusually tense, with the child showing signs of stress or resistance when leaving the other parent to come to you.
Isolation from Important Information: You are excluded from school events, medical decisions, or other key aspects of your child’s life, often without justification or prior notice.
Recognizing these early signs can help you proactively address the issue before it escalates.
These tactics can profoundly affect the child’s emotional and psychological well-being, causing long-lasting damage to their relationship with the alienated parent. In fact, Parental Alienation is considered a form of child abuse.
To learn more about Parental Alienation, including the tactics used by the targeting parent as well as the underlying causes that lead a parent to weaponize their child against the other parent, please join the PATHWays Community.
