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Victoria Håpnes är en i raden av domstolspersonal som administrerat detta vårdnadsfall. Och när man läst igenom tidigare dokument, som påvisar mammans konflikt, blir man beklämd över Håpnes beteende: att inte fatta ett beslut som beivrar mammans konflikt och gynnar barnet. Istället väljer Håpnes:
- att ta semester.
- Från den dagbok som personalen vid en tingsrätt måste upprätthålla framgår att Håpnes inte ägnat Julhelgen (semestern) åt sin egen familj. Istället har hon varit noga med att följa fallet. Håpnes har uppenbarligen svårt att släppa kontrollen över saken och väljer att dra ärendet i långbänk. Håpnes hindrade därmed barnet från att fira jul med sin älskade pappa och gav mamman ytterligare vatten på sin konflikt-kvarn.
Bakgrunden är traditionen inom domstolskollektivet att diskriminera barns pappa-relation i 75 % av fallen (Elfver-Lindström, 1999 (se Österberg, 2004); Schiratzki, 2008; Österberg, 2004; Biringen och Harman, 2018).
Den här mammans vårdnadskonflikt har därför kunna pågå sedan åtminstone 2013, men kunde ha slutat innan den började om domstolspersonalen accepterat den forskning som varit tillgänglig sedan 1960-talet. Istället gavs mamman, traditionsenligt, utrymme att hindra barnet från att träffa pappan. Beteendet, som är en interaktion, kallas umgängessabotage och hämmar barns emotionella och sociala anpassning samt kognitiva utveckling och ökar risken för så kallad föräldraalienation, av engelskans Parental Alienation Disorder (se referenslista nedan). Drygt 400 000 svenska barn hindras i skrivande stund från att ha en tät och nära relation med sin pappa.
En märklig detalj är att när domstolspersonalen tillämpat moderspresumtionen, vilket ju skadar barn, har mamman postat märkliga segergester på interaktiva mediaplattformar. Det är en demonstration av relationsaggressivitet (Crick och Grotpeter, 1995; Hyde, 2005).
Notera fokuset på sig själv. Mamman noterar inte att när hon “vinner” sin kamp mot pappan (kortsiktigt), då hämmas flickans emotionella och sociala anpassning samt kognitiva utveckling, inklusive visuospatial perception (långsiktigt); forskning visar ju att barn som växer upp med båda föräldrarna eller bara pappa har bättre emotionell och social anpassning jämfört med barn som växer upp med mamma. (Baumrind, 1966; Gopnik, 2016; Baker et al. 2020; Farran och Formby, 2011; LaFlamme et al. 2012; Olsson, 2022; ; Rolle 2019; Sethna, 2017; Vieno et al. 2009, 2014; Österberg, 2004)
Effekten av mammans konflikt/domstolspersonalens agerande, dvs. tillämpning av moderspresumtionen blev det förväntade - flickans skolresultat sjönk. Dessutom ökade frånvaron ökat dramatiskt; från årskurs 4 till årskurs 5 har betygen försämrats i fyra ämnen och frånvaron har varit mycket omfattande sedan årskurs 2. Årskurs 2: 25 %; årskurs 3: uppgifter saknas; årskurs 4: 22% ( ca 25% på höstterminen och ca 19% på vårterminen); årskurs 5: 31 %. Detta personal inom skolan, socialtjänsten och domstolspersonalen valt att ignorera.
Samtidigt visar bevisen (bilder och ljudupptagningar) att barnet och pappa alltid haft en känslomässigt nära relationer. Pappan lever också ett stabilt liv. Han har dessutom lärarutbildning. Under barnets förskola och årskurs ett var pappan en informell resurs i skolan; de andra barnen tyckte att det var toppen och den lilla flickan var mycket stolt över att pappa var med i skolan. Mammans respons var att som juridisk förälder förbjuda detta. Ytterligare en demonstration av relationsaggressivitet.
2020-2021 var barnet och pappan föremål för en av många attacker från mamman; hon stämde pappan med avsikt att hindra barnet från att ha kontakt med honom. 24 september 2021 tillämpade Dan Sjöstedt, anställd som domare i Örebro tingsrätt, moderpresumtionen. Det betyder att Sjöstedt använde sin makt för att hindra den lilla flickan från möjligheten till den viktiga täta och nära relationen med sin pappa som forskning visar påverkar barns emotionell och social anpassning samt kognitiva utveckling (inklusive visuospatial perception). Därmed har även Sjöstedts agerande varit del av barnets försämrade skolprestation.
Sjöstedt rapport är lång. Riktigt lång - 24 sidor. Rapporten kan läsas i sin helhet och själva diskursen kan analyseras. Man kan också observera hur många sidor Sjöstedt ägnat åt rapportens olika delar. Själva beslutet, att tillämpa moderspresumtionen och därmed diskriminera barnets viktiga papparelation, klaras av på ett par sidor. Men på sidan 3-24 lägger Sjöstedt ut texten i det han kallar bakgrunden.
Redan i bakgrundens första rader redogör Sjöstedt för mammans relationsaggressivitet - att inte acceptera barnets viktiga relation med sin pappa. Och Sjöstedt visar att mammans konflikt eskalerat sedan 2013! Ergo. Mammans konflikt har varit känt för alla inblandade sedan 2013, men varken skolans rektor, personalen inom socialtjänst och domstolar har velat se barnets utsatthet i mammas hem.
Det är lite Macbeth över Sjöstedt beteende [rapportskrivning].
Varför var Sjöstedt så nitisk?
Ett sannolikt svar kommer från en notis där en Dan Sjöstedt, anställd som domare, blev tillrättavisad av kollegorna i Hovrätten i ett fall som rörde en våldtäkt (Makar, 2012).
Att få ett beslut ändrat av kollegor i högre instans är en så kallad nesa för personalen inom domstolskollektivet som kan påverka kommande karriär.
Kan det vara så att Sjöstedt drabbats av kognitiv dissonans?
En annan effekt av Sjöstedt och Håpnes agerande - att stödja mammans konfliktbeteende och därmed isolera barnet från pappan, är det etablerade begreppet föräldraalienation, av engelskans Parental Alienation Disorder. Sjöstedts, Håpnes och andra dömares agerande - tillämpning av moderspresumtionen - ökar förstås risken att barn drabbas av föräldra-alienering. Nedan följer en lista med femton referenser om föräldraalienering som varit tillgängliga för personal inom skolan, socialtjänsten och domstolar sedan 2008.
Se film med Sverker Sikström, professor i kognitionspsykologi vid Lunds universitet, om effekter av alienering: Hur vet man om ett barn är alienerat i vårdnadstvister?
Länk till nästa artikel i serien:
[Ytterligare] ett fall där myndighetspersonal konspirerar med en mamma för att isolera ett barn från sin pappa. Case 2: risk för flykt med barnen
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Executive coaching for CEOs/managers and workshops to facilitate Organizational Performance, Learning, and Creativity for Problem Solving | Lectures: Nutrition for physical and mental health | Course/lecture: children's emotional and social adjustment and cognitive development | Language training - Swedish | Academy Competency | CV | Teaching skills and experience | Summary of research project | Instagram | Linkedin | YouTube-channel | TikTok | Twitter
Referenslista, 15 referenser om Parental alienation disorder
1. Bernet, W. (2021). Recurrent Misinformation Regarding Parental Alienation Theory. The American Journal of Family Therapy.
“Parental alienation (PA) is a mental condition in which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce—allies strongly with one parent (the favored parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. The most common cause of PA is the child’s indoctrination by the favored parent to dislike or fear the alienated parent (Bernet, 2020a, pp. 5–6). This is a generic definition almost everyone—PA proponents as well as PA critics—recognizes and accepts” (s. 1).
2. Bernet, W. (2008). Parental Alienation Disorder and DSM-V. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36 (5), 349 — 366.
Although parental alienation disorder (PAD) is a serious mental condition affecting many children and their families, it is not an official diagnosis or even mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This article presents arguments for considering PAD a diagnosis: PAD is a prototypical example of a relational disorder; the phenomenon of PAD is almost universally accepted by mental health professionals; PAD is a valid and reliable construct; adopting criteria for PAD will promote systematic research; adopting criteria will reduce the misuse of the concept of PAD; and adopting criteria will improve the treatment of children with this disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).
3. Bernet, W., von Boch-Galhau, W., Baker, A.J. L. & Morrison, S.L. (2010). Parental Alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 38 (2), 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).
4. Moné, J. G., MacPhee, D., Anderson, S.. K. & Banning, J. H. (2011).Family members' narratives of divorce and interparental conflict: Implications for parental alienation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(8), 642-667.
This study focused on the internal dynamics of family members who experience divorce and interparental conflict. Interparental conflict and triangulating children increase the likelihood of alienating children from a parent. Narrative interviews with members of three families were used to explore meaning structures. Results showed how parents and children thought, felt, and created meaning about their experiences; how family members responded to conflict and behaviors associated with parental alienation; and how they viewed family relationships. Metalevel findings suggested each family member held dichotomous views and used cognitive and behavioral control response strategies. Thus, parental alienation stems from a relational dynamic and needs to be addressed from a family systems perspective.
5. Baker, A. J. L.& Ben-Ami, N. (2011). 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. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(7), 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.
6. Hands, A. J. & Warshak, R. A. (2011). Parental alienation among college students. American Journal of Family Therapy, 39 (5), 431-443.
A sample of 50 college students responded to a questionnaire measuring perceptions of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents and their current relationship with each parent. Data revealed a higher degree of alienating behavior by divorced parents when compared to non-divorced parents. Mothers and fathers were rated about equally likely to engage in such behaviors. A higher incidence of alienated parent-child relationships in divorced homes approached, but did not reach, statistical significance. Students who were alienated from one parent report higher levels of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents. The results suggest that parental alienating behaviors, and the phenomenon of a child becoming alienated from a parent after divorce, are departures from the norm and worthy of attention and concern.
7. Darnall, D. (2011). The psychosocial treatment of parental alienation. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 20 (3), 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.
8. Farkas, M. M. (2011). An introduction to parental alienation syndrome. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 49(4), 20-26.
Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) can occur during a tumultuous divorce between embattled parents involved in a bitter child custody dispute. During parental warfare, a child is used as a weapon by one parent (alienating parent) against the other parent (alienated/targeted parent). The targeted parent-child relationship once encased with unconditional love is transformed by an unrelenting campaign of denigration, criticism, and hatred. Since nursing literature on PAS is almost nonexistent, the purpose of this article is to increase nursing awareness and provide basic information. Awareness of PAS symptoms and interpersonal dynamics is important to prompt nurses in recommending treatment for families. Nurses should collaboratively join other professionals in their quest to provide the best treatment possible.
9. Garber, B. D. (2011). Parental alienation and the dynamics of the enmeshed parent–child dyad: Adultification, parentification, and infantilization. Family Court Review, 49(2), 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.
10. Pilla, J. M. & Bernet, W. (2011).Letter to the editor: Ursula A. Kelly, PhD, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, guest editor. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 17(2), 189.
Comments on an guest editorial by U. A. Kelly and D. Sharp (see record 2011-07378-002). We want to alert you to a topic of importance to forensic mental health nurses—a mental health condition called parental alienation. Parental alienation begins as a process of faulty intra-family dynamics that can develop into a serious mental health disorder for children and adolescents. Mental health nurses and other practitioners are likely to encounter the problem of parental alienation in any of several contexts, in either inpatient or outpatient settings. During the last two years, mental health nurses have participated in a large, international committee that seeks to include the diagnosis of parental alienation in the next editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases. Readers who are interested in learning more about the mental condition of parental alienation are invited to contact one of the authors of this letter.
11. Baker, A. J. L. & Chambers, J. (2011). Adult recall of childhood exposure to parental conflict: Unpacking the black box of parental alienation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(1), 55-76.
One hundred and five undergraduate or graduate students completed a computer-based survey regarding their recollection of exposure to 20 parental alienation behaviors, current depression, and current self-esteem. Results revealed that 80% of the sample endorsed at least 1 of the 20 parental alienation behaviors, indicating some exposure to parental alienation, with 20% of the sample reporting that 1 parent tried to turn them against the other parent. Participants whose parents divorced or separated before they were 18 years old were much more likely to report exposure to parental alienation strategies than participants whose parents remained married during their childhood. No relationship was found between recalled exposure to parental alienation and current depression or self-esteem.
12. Barlow, Victoria L. (2011). The Medea complex and parental alienation syndrome: Who are the severe alienators? 72(5-B), Dissertation 3088.
The body of knowledge of parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is essential to providing courts and clinicians with materials to support appropriate decisions for the well being of the children and their families. The research focused on the severe alienator, the parent/caregiver who initiates the most severe form of the alienation, to identify their characteristics and their familial patterns. The concept of the Medea complex as it relates to severe parental alienation was explored using a depth analysis that resulted in expanding the parameters of the complex and identifying characteristics of those most susceptible to it. The data utilized in this research was drawn from mental health agency files, Chancery Court case files, and interviews with family members, therapists, and attorneys. Because the people involved in PAS were unable or unwilling to be accurate historians due to their own psychopathology, ongoing court cases, family disapproval, or other reasons, a qualitative multiple psychological case study method with a few family participants was used. These cases were subjected to thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns, exploring the characteristics of the severe alienator. Several family patterns of PAS were identified, and the Medea complex was discovered to be active in the most severe alienators. Several family patterns of PAS were identified, and the Medea complex was identified in the most severe alienators. The results and their implications are discussed in narrative form in relation to clinical and forensic casework.
13. Levy, D. L. & Sauber, S. R. (2011). Review of Welcome back, Pluto: Understanding, preventing and overcoming parental alienation (DVD). American Journal of Family Therapy, 39(1), 77-79.
Reviews the DVD, Welcome Back, Pluto: Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Parental Alienation by Richard A. Warshak and Mark R. Otis (2010). This informative DVD talks common sense in everyday words. Although the DVD acknowledges that a child can feel rightly alienated from a parent because of abuse or poor parenting skills, alienation is usually the result of a favored parent who is needy, seeks total control over the child, or fails to recognize the importance of the other parent in the child’s life. The video describes three components of a very complex psychological situation, which are: 1) defining the problem, 2) explaining how it is manifested, and 3) providing intervention techniques for its control and abatement. The DVD points out that when children grow up and realize that they have been the subject of alienation, the adult children of divorce may turn on the controlling parent. The video urges parents to follow court ordered visitation. The video can also help courts better understand how a vulnerable child might just be parroting what the favored parent wants the child to say against the targeted parent. Thus, this DVD, if used appropriately by court family service departments, judges and judicial training conferences, and parents, could go a long way to lessening a form of child abuse: alienation of a child from a loving, warm family.
14. Rand, D. C.(2011). Parental alienation critics and the politics of science. American Journal of Family Therapy, 39(1), 48-71.
This article examines the assertions, made by two main groups of critics, about Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) and parental alienation (PA). Among the topics discussed are: role of the alienating parent; structural interventions such as custodial transfer; relationship between PAS and allegations of sex abuse; and controversy over use of the term syndrome.
15. Bernet, W. (2016). IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING PARENTAL ALIENATION. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55 (10), Supplement, S28.
Parental alienation (PA) is a serious mental condition 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 target parent) without legitimate justification. PA was described by multiple writers in the 1980s, followed by many descriptive, qualitative research studies in professional journals and book chapters. In recent years, there has been a shift toward reproducible, quantitative research. The goal of this presentation is to summarize recent quantitative research regarding PA.
Stöd gärna bloggen via Swish (Sverige) eller MobilePay (Finland).
Mer om min expertis:
Executive coaching for CEOs/managers and workshops to facilitate Organizational Performance, Learning, and Creativity for Problem Solving | Lectures: Nutrition for physical and mental health | Course/lecture: children's emotional and social adjustment and cognitive development | Language training - Swedish | Academy Competency | CV | Teaching skills and experience | Summary of research project | Instagram | Linkedin | YouTube-channel | TikTok | Twitter
Referenslista, 15 referenser om Parental alienation disorder
1. Bernet, W. (2021). Recurrent Misinformation Regarding Parental Alienation Theory. The American Journal of Family Therapy.
“Parental alienation (PA) is a mental condition in which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce—allies strongly with one parent (the favored parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. The most common cause of PA is the child’s indoctrination by the favored parent to dislike or fear the alienated parent (Bernet, 2020a, pp. 5–6). This is a generic definition almost everyone—PA proponents as well as PA critics—recognizes and accepts” (s. 1).
2. Bernet, W. (2008). Parental Alienation Disorder and DSM-V. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36 (5), 349 — 366.
Although parental alienation disorder (PAD) is a serious mental condition affecting many children and their families, it is not an official diagnosis or even mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This article presents arguments for considering PAD a diagnosis: PAD is a prototypical example of a relational disorder; the phenomenon of PAD is almost universally accepted by mental health professionals; PAD is a valid and reliable construct; adopting criteria for PAD will promote systematic research; adopting criteria will reduce the misuse of the concept of PAD; and adopting criteria will improve the treatment of children with this disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).
3. Bernet, W., von Boch-Galhau, W., Baker, A.J. L. & Morrison, S.L. (2010). Parental Alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 38 (2), 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).
4. Moné, J. G., MacPhee, D., Anderson, S.. K. & Banning, J. H. (2011).Family members' narratives of divorce and interparental conflict: Implications for parental alienation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(8), 642-667.
This study focused on the internal dynamics of family members who experience divorce and interparental conflict. Interparental conflict and triangulating children increase the likelihood of alienating children from a parent. Narrative interviews with members of three families were used to explore meaning structures. Results showed how parents and children thought, felt, and created meaning about their experiences; how family members responded to conflict and behaviors associated with parental alienation; and how they viewed family relationships. Metalevel findings suggested each family member held dichotomous views and used cognitive and behavioral control response strategies. Thus, parental alienation stems from a relational dynamic and needs to be addressed from a family systems perspective.
5. Baker, A. J. L.& Ben-Ami, N. (2011). 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. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(7), 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.
6. Hands, A. J. & Warshak, R. A. (2011). Parental alienation among college students. American Journal of Family Therapy, 39 (5), 431-443.
A sample of 50 college students responded to a questionnaire measuring perceptions of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents and their current relationship with each parent. Data revealed a higher degree of alienating behavior by divorced parents when compared to non-divorced parents. Mothers and fathers were rated about equally likely to engage in such behaviors. A higher incidence of alienated parent-child relationships in divorced homes approached, but did not reach, statistical significance. Students who were alienated from one parent report higher levels of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents. The results suggest that parental alienating behaviors, and the phenomenon of a child becoming alienated from a parent after divorce, are departures from the norm and worthy of attention and concern.
7. Darnall, D. (2011). The psychosocial treatment of parental alienation. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 20 (3), 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.
8. Farkas, M. M. (2011). An introduction to parental alienation syndrome. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 49(4), 20-26.
Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) can occur during a tumultuous divorce between embattled parents involved in a bitter child custody dispute. During parental warfare, a child is used as a weapon by one parent (alienating parent) against the other parent (alienated/targeted parent). The targeted parent-child relationship once encased with unconditional love is transformed by an unrelenting campaign of denigration, criticism, and hatred. Since nursing literature on PAS is almost nonexistent, the purpose of this article is to increase nursing awareness and provide basic information. Awareness of PAS symptoms and interpersonal dynamics is important to prompt nurses in recommending treatment for families. Nurses should collaboratively join other professionals in their quest to provide the best treatment possible.
9. Garber, B. D. (2011). Parental alienation and the dynamics of the enmeshed parent–child dyad: Adultification, parentification, and infantilization. Family Court Review, 49(2), 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.
10. Pilla, J. M. & Bernet, W. (2011).Letter to the editor: Ursula A. Kelly, PhD, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, guest editor. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 17(2), 189.
Comments on an guest editorial by U. A. Kelly and D. Sharp (see record 2011-07378-002). We want to alert you to a topic of importance to forensic mental health nurses—a mental health condition called parental alienation. Parental alienation begins as a process of faulty intra-family dynamics that can develop into a serious mental health disorder for children and adolescents. Mental health nurses and other practitioners are likely to encounter the problem of parental alienation in any of several contexts, in either inpatient or outpatient settings. During the last two years, mental health nurses have participated in a large, international committee that seeks to include the diagnosis of parental alienation in the next editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases. Readers who are interested in learning more about the mental condition of parental alienation are invited to contact one of the authors of this letter.
11. Baker, A. J. L. & Chambers, J. (2011). Adult recall of childhood exposure to parental conflict: Unpacking the black box of parental alienation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(1), 55-76.
One hundred and five undergraduate or graduate students completed a computer-based survey regarding their recollection of exposure to 20 parental alienation behaviors, current depression, and current self-esteem. Results revealed that 80% of the sample endorsed at least 1 of the 20 parental alienation behaviors, indicating some exposure to parental alienation, with 20% of the sample reporting that 1 parent tried to turn them against the other parent. Participants whose parents divorced or separated before they were 18 years old were much more likely to report exposure to parental alienation strategies than participants whose parents remained married during their childhood. No relationship was found between recalled exposure to parental alienation and current depression or self-esteem.
12. Barlow, Victoria L. (2011). The Medea complex and parental alienation syndrome: Who are the severe alienators? 72(5-B), Dissertation 3088.
The body of knowledge of parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is essential to providing courts and clinicians with materials to support appropriate decisions for the well being of the children and their families. The research focused on the severe alienator, the parent/caregiver who initiates the most severe form of the alienation, to identify their characteristics and their familial patterns. The concept of the Medea complex as it relates to severe parental alienation was explored using a depth analysis that resulted in expanding the parameters of the complex and identifying characteristics of those most susceptible to it. The data utilized in this research was drawn from mental health agency files, Chancery Court case files, and interviews with family members, therapists, and attorneys. Because the people involved in PAS were unable or unwilling to be accurate historians due to their own psychopathology, ongoing court cases, family disapproval, or other reasons, a qualitative multiple psychological case study method with a few family participants was used. These cases were subjected to thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns, exploring the characteristics of the severe alienator. Several family patterns of PAS were identified, and the Medea complex was discovered to be active in the most severe alienators. Several family patterns of PAS were identified, and the Medea complex was identified in the most severe alienators. The results and their implications are discussed in narrative form in relation to clinical and forensic casework.
13. Levy, D. L. & Sauber, S. R. (2011). Review of Welcome back, Pluto: Understanding, preventing and overcoming parental alienation (DVD). American Journal of Family Therapy, 39(1), 77-79.
Reviews the DVD, Welcome Back, Pluto: Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Parental Alienation by Richard A. Warshak and Mark R. Otis (2010). This informative DVD talks common sense in everyday words. Although the DVD acknowledges that a child can feel rightly alienated from a parent because of abuse or poor parenting skills, alienation is usually the result of a favored parent who is needy, seeks total control over the child, or fails to recognize the importance of the other parent in the child’s life. The video describes three components of a very complex psychological situation, which are: 1) defining the problem, 2) explaining how it is manifested, and 3) providing intervention techniques for its control and abatement. The DVD points out that when children grow up and realize that they have been the subject of alienation, the adult children of divorce may turn on the controlling parent. The video urges parents to follow court ordered visitation. The video can also help courts better understand how a vulnerable child might just be parroting what the favored parent wants the child to say against the targeted parent. Thus, this DVD, if used appropriately by court family service departments, judges and judicial training conferences, and parents, could go a long way to lessening a form of child abuse: alienation of a child from a loving, warm family.
14. Rand, D. C.(2011). Parental alienation critics and the politics of science. American Journal of Family Therapy, 39(1), 48-71.
This article examines the assertions, made by two main groups of critics, about Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) and parental alienation (PA). Among the topics discussed are: role of the alienating parent; structural interventions such as custodial transfer; relationship between PAS and allegations of sex abuse; and controversy over use of the term syndrome.
15. Bernet, W. (2016). IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING PARENTAL ALIENATION. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55 (10), Supplement, S28.
Parental alienation (PA) is a serious mental condition 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 target parent) without legitimate justification. PA was described by multiple writers in the 1980s, followed by many descriptive, qualitative research studies in professional journals and book chapters. In recent years, there has been a shift toward reproducible, quantitative research. The goal of this presentation is to summarize recent quantitative research regarding PA.
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