Characteristics of families of children who refuse post-divorce visits

Abstract

Compared to 88 non‐refusers, 12 children who refused post‐divorce visits with their noncustodial parents were significantly more likely to be female, to be the oldest child at home, to be in special education, and to have at least one parent with evidence of psychopathology, particularly substance abuse, violence toward spouse, suicidal behavior, or psychosis. Most children in both groups lived primarily with their mothers.

Children Resisting Postseparation Contact With a Parent: Concepts, Controversies, and Conundrums

“…Understanding the short‐ and long‐term effects of alienation on children is crucial when considering if, when and how there should be intervention. The literature consistently reports that alienated children are at risk for emotional distress and adjustment difficulties and further, at greater risk than children from litigating families who are not alienated (e.g., Burrill, 2006a; Cartwright, 1993; Clawar & Rivlin, 1991; Dunne & Hedrick, 1994; Gardner, 1992a, 2006; Garrity & Baris, 1994; Kelly & Johnston, 2001; Kopetski, 1998a, 1998b, Johnston, 2003; Johnston & Roseby, 1997; Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, 2005c; Lampel, 1996; Lee & Olesen, 2001; Lowenstein, 2006; Lund, 1995; Racusin & Copans, 1994; Rand, 1997a, 1997b; Rand, Rand, & Kopetski, 2005; Stahl, 1999; Stoltz & Ney, 2002; Turkat 1994, 1999; Waldron & Joanis, 1996; Walsh & Bone, 1997; Wallerstein & Blakeslee, 1989; Ward & Harvey, 1993; Warshak, 2010a). Clinical observations, case reviews and both qualitative and empirical studies uniformly indicate that alienated children may exhibit: (1) poor reality testing; (2) illogical cognitive operations; (3) simplistic and rigid information processing; (4) inaccurate or distorted interpersonal perceptions; (5) disturbed and compromised interpersonal functioning; (6) self‐hatred; (7) low self esteem (internalize negative parts of rejected parent, self doubt about own perceptions, self blame for rejecting parent or abandoning siblings, mistrust, feel unworthy or unloved, feel abandoned) or inflated self‐esteem or omnipotence; (8) pseudo‐maturity; (9) gender‐identity problems; (10) poor differentiation of self (enmeshment); (11) aggression and conduct disorders; (12) disregard for social norms and authority; (13) poor impulse control; (14) emotional constriction, passivity, or dependency; and (15) lack of remorse or guilt.…”

“…These parents may be rigidly defended and moralistic, perceive themselves to be flawless and virtuous, externalize responsibility onto others and lack insight into their own behavior and the impact of their behavior has on others (Bagby, Nicholson, Buis, Radovanovic, & Fidler, 1999;Bathurst, Gottfried, & Gottfried, 1997;Siegel, 1996). Psychological disturbance, including histrionic, paranoid, and narcissistic personality disorders or characteristics, psychosis, suicidal behavior and substance abuse are common among alienating parents (Baker, 2006;Clawar & Rivlin, 1991;Gardner, 1992b;Hoppe & Kenney, 1994;Kopetski, 1998aKopetski, , 1998bJohnston & Campbell, 1988;Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, 2005a;Lampel, 1996;Siegel & Langford, 1998;Rand, 1997a;Racusin & Copans, 1994;Turkat, 1994Turkat, , 1999Warshak, 2010a). Janet Johnston and her colleagues compared parents, some of whom were alienating, participating in custody evaluations with data from two nonpatient samples of separated parents (Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, 2005a).…”

Ideology and Rhetoric Replace Science and Reason in Some Parental Alienation Literature and Advocacy: A Critique

“…One caveat: This article should not be interpreted as a critique of all scholarship on children who resist or refuse contact with a parent in a disputed child custody case, or as a rejection of the possibility that some parents use toxic strategies in an attempt to turn a child against the other parent. There is considerable scholarship that recognizes the complexity of children's resistance or refusal to have contact with one of their separating or divorcing parents and that acknowledges to varying degrees the need to assess child abuse and domestic violence, as well as other forms of parent‐provoked or sustaining child rejection (Birnbaum & Bala, ; Dalton, Drozd, & Wong, ; Deutsch, ; Drozd, ; Fidler & Bala, ; Gordon, Stoffey, & Bottinelli, ; Johnston, ; Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, ; Kelly & Johnston, ; Lampel, 1996; Lee & Olesen, ; Ludolph & Bow, ; Racusin, Copans, & Mills, ; Siegel & Langford, ). Gardner (1999) himself said cases with child abuse were not alienation cases, and Bernet () re‐asserts this and affirms that other alienation advocates agree.…”

Conceptualizing Visitation Resistance and Refusal in the Context of Parental Conflict, Separation, and Divorce

“…Understanding and responding to the dilemma of visitation 1 resistance and refusal (VRR) in the context of co‐parental conflict, separation, and divorce has become one of the stickiest wickets in contemporary family law and forensic mental health practice (e.g., Freeman & Freeman, 2003; Johnston, 1993; King & Heard, 1999; Racusin, Copans, & Mills, 1994; Stoltz & Ney, 2002; Trinder, Beek, & Connolly, 2002; Weir & Sturge, 2006). With the introduction of the concept of alienation (Kelly & Johnston, 2001; Wallerstein & Kelly, 1980) and its controversial first cousin, Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) (Gardner, 1987, 1992a, 1992b, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003), concerned professionals have become vulnerable to making mountains out of molehills.…”