Abuse and Alienation Are Each Real: A Response to a Critique by Joan Meier

Drozd, Leslie M.; Olesen, Nancy W.

doi:10.1080/15379418.2010.521118

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Some multi‐factor theorists of PA have attempted to distinguish estrangement (due to abuse, deficit parenting) from alienation (due to PA behavior by a parent), and have also allowed for the possibility that both abuse and PA can co‐occur (Drozd & Olesen, , ). Together with other research, it is concluded that many cases of resist/refusal of contact are likely to involve children who have mixed features of alienation and estrangement (Friedlander & Walters, ; Johnston, ; Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, ).…”

Section: Multi‐factor Theoretical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the past two decades, variants of Multi‐Factor models of PA have helped guide custody evaluations (Bow, Gould, & Flens, ; Drozd & Olesen, , ; Lee & Olesen, ), early intervention and multi‐modal treatment interventions for families with children who resist or refuse contact (Fidler et al, ; Friedlander & Walters, ; Greenberg, Schnider, & Jackson, ; Johnston et al, ; Judge & Deutsch, ; Lebow & Rekart, ; Polak & Moran, ; M. A. Saini et al, ; Sullivan et al, ; Warshak, 2015). There are emerging trauma‐informed treatment protocols for some mixed cases where parental abuse, PA and enmeshment have co‐occurred (Greenberg et al, ) .…”

Section: Multi‐factor Theoretical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Critical scientific reviews have cautioned family justice professionals about the problems with the formulation of PA concepts and assumptions, the paucity of standardized measures, absence of reliable estimates of prevalence, and inadequate research on etiology, differential diagnoses, prognosis and long‐term outcomes (Drozd & Olesen, ; Fidler, Bala, & Saini, ; Robb, ; Saini, Johnston, Fidler, & Bala, ; Walker & Shapiro, ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory

Johnston¹,

Sullivan²

2020

Family Court Review

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The concept of parental alienation (PA) has expanded in popular usage at the same time that it remains mired in controversy about its scientific integrity and its use as a legal strategy in response to an increasing range of issues in family court. In this paper we describe how competing advocacy movements (for mothers, fathers and children) in the family justice field have, over time, helped shape the shifting definitions and widening focal concerns of PA-from children who make false allegations of abuse, to those who resist or refuse contact with a parent, to parent relocation, and to the emotional abuse wrecked upon children who are victims of a manipulative parent. In search of common ground for a sound approach to using PA concepts, we argue that the Single Factor model of PA (asserting that an alienating preferred parent is primarily the source of the problem) is inadequate, overly simplistic and misleading. A Single Factor model rests on the fallacy that abuse or poor parenting on the part of either parent have been, or are able to be, ruled out as sufficient reason for the child's rejecting stance. By contrast, multi-factor models of PA make more useful, valid, differentiated clinical predictions of children's rejection of a parent, informed by basic and applied research on children and families. However, multi-factor models are complex and difficult to argue in court and to use in assessment and interventions. Suggestions are made for developing intervention-focused prediction models that reduce the number of factors involved and are applicable across different types of interventions. Key Points for the Family Court Community:Several socio-cultural-legal movements in the last 30 years have contributed to the prevalence, focal concerns and ongoing controversies about Parental Alienation.Persistent erroneous assumption that an alienating parent is primarily the source of a child's resistance/rejection of a parent (called the dominant Single-Factor theory of PA) is problematic in applying PA constructs in research and practice.Four principal factors (illustrating a refined multi-factorial predictive model of PA) are identified as goals for preventive-interventions and are proposed as measures for evaluating outcomes across different kinds of interventions resist/refuse cases in practice.

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Section: Multi‐factor Theoretical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Multi‐factor Theoretical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory

Johnston¹,

Sullivan²

2020

Family Court Review

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“…Often the court and clinicians try to determine the cause of the trauma response and/or the veracity of the reported symptoms in an effort to find an unequivocal solution to the problem. The literature often describes these parent–child problems in binary terms—it is abuse/violence or alienation (Drozd & Olesen, , ; Fidler & Ward, ; Kelly & Johnston, ). In fact, however, many of these cases are multifactorial (Johnston & Sullivan, ) or hybrid (Friedlander & Walters, ) and require attention to traumatic experiences as well as to alienating behaviors.…”

Section: What Is Trauma?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trauma‐Informed Interventions in Parent–Child Contact Cases

Deutsch¹,

Drozd²,

Ajoku³

2020

Family Court Review

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Parent-child contact problems may arise in the context of high conflict separation/divorce dynamics between parents. In cases where there are parent-child contact problems and children resist or refuse contact with one of their parents, there may also be incidents of child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, or compromised parenting that can be experienced by a parent or child as traumatic. The circumstances around separation and/or post-divorce often result in intense stress for families. In this paper we distinguish between the stressful circumstances that may arise as a result of high interparental conflict and pulls for alignment from a parent, and the real or perceived trauma as a factor which contributes to resistance or refusal of a child to have contact with a parent. Interventions to address both trauma responses and the resist-refuse dynamics are differentiated and discussed. After screening and assessment, the intent is to treat trauma responses with short-term, evidence-based therapy, either before or concurrent with co-parent and family intervention. Key Points for the Family Court Community:Parent-child contact problems may have many causes. When children resist contact with a parent the multiple factors including trauma, that result in this problem must be explored.Assessing the impact and symptoms of interparental conflict and trauma on children and coparents, including emotional dysregulation resulting in feelings of being overwhelmed or needing to avoid is necessary to proceed with a family intervention For family intervention to be successful It is necessary for each family member to be able to manage distressing emotions without feeling overwhelmed or numb and to be able to process information accurately. These issues may result in one of the treatment components that can occur before or at the same time as the family intervention.Delaying contact with a parent generally results in more negative characterization, anxiety and polarization and is generally not recommended. Instead safe, structured contact to begin the process of desensitization should occur once the parent and child have basic skills of coping with and managing distressing thoughts and feelings.

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“…Alienation seems to be less likely among young children since the mechanism of persuasion, indoctrination, and brainwashing require a certain level of cognitive ability to process the cognitive biases and distortions transferred by the AP. The typical age range among children who display alienating behaviours is 8-9 to 15-18 years old [15,23], and this is found in both male and female children, and it can affect either parent [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Alienation: In the Child’s Worst Interest

Silva¹

2022

Parenting - Challenges of Child Rearing in a Changing Society

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Parental alienation (PA) is a form of childhood emotional abuse in which one parent instrumentally uses the child to inflict psychological harm on the other parent for revenge. The consequences of parental alienating behaviours range from mild (e.g., the child shows a certain resistance towards visiting the targeted parent but warm parenting is still possible) to severe, where the positive affective parent–child bond is severed and extremely difficult to reinstate under family therapy. In PA processes, parenting is disrupted with the targeted parent and dysfunctional with the alienating parent. Consequently, the child is at a high risk of developing internalising (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalising (e.g., use of drugs/alcohol, violence) problems during later developmental stages and through the lifespan. Although the prevalence and severity of PA cases in our societies are largely unknown, in part because the construct is still an ongoing debate among academics, practitioners and family justice professionals, different authors defend that it should be treated as a public health problem. Early prevention should be the primary objective and family justice, child protection and mental health services must coordinate efforts to support the families and promote the best conditions for the development of affected children.

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Abuse and Alienation Are Each Real: A Response to a Critique by Joan Meier

Cited by 12 publications

References 12 publications

Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory

Parental Alienation: In Search of Common Ground For a More Differentiated Theory

Trauma‐Informed Interventions in Parent–Child Contact Cases

Parental Alienation: In the Child’s Worst Interest

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