Empirical Studies of Alienation

Saini, Michael; Johnston, Janet R.; Fidler, Barbara Jo; Bala, Nicholas

doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780199396580.003.0013

Cited by 65 publications

(83 citation statements)

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“…The cluster of symptoms or behaviors indicating the presence of alienation in the child can also be reliably identified." 20 Thus, it is incorrect to say there is "a lack of empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals. "…”

Section: Tunisia -A Prestigious Forensic Science Journalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation

Bernet¹

2020

Family Court Review

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Since parental alienation syndrome (PAS) was identified in the 1980's, there has been a remarkable amount of misinformation regarding both PAS and parental alienation (PA). These falsehoods were published in professional journals, presented at conferences, and distributed through internet websites and blogs. This article summarizes five examples of published misinformation regarding PAS/PA. Each case study includes: the false statements that were published in the medical, psychological, or legal professional literature; the names of the individuals who made the false statements; and the steps taken to refute the falsehoods and correct the record. The writers of the misinformation were from Sweden, Tunisia, Spain, and the United States, which illustrates the international scope of PAS/PA. In one example, the misinformation reached the U.S. House of Representatives and was almost included in a formal resolution adopted by that body. The article discusses various underlying causes of the high level of polarization in PAS/PA scholarship. The article also proposes steps that both mental health and legal writers can adopt to reduce the destructive polarization that has occurred. In general, however, clinicians, forensic practitioners, and legal professionals should remain vigilant when they read articles or listen to presentations about topics that might be considered controversial.

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Section: Tunisia -A Prestigious Forensic Science Journalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation

Bernet¹

2020

Family Court Review

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“…More generally, a survey of 448 custody experts indicated that alienation claims were raised in 26% of cases and that a "campaign of denigration" was the second most important factor (after "brainwashing parent") in assessing alienation (Bow, Gould, & Flens, 2009). Despite its courtroom impact, research on parental alienation has been widely deemed inadequate in both quantity and quality (Bruch, 2002;Dallam, 1999;Emery, 2005;Fidler & Bala, 2010;Hoult, 2006;Johnston, 2005;Saini, Johnston, Fidler, & Bala, 2016). In fact, a recent review rated no studies of alienation as being of high quality; the majority (82%) were rated low or very low quality (Saini, Johnston, Fidler, & Bala, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Denigration Boomerangs Versus Alienates: Parent–Child Closeness, Reciprocity, and Well‐Being Using Multiple Informants

Rowen

Emery

2018

Family Relations

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Objective To assess parental denigration, parents demeaning each other to or in front of their children, and whether denigration is one‐sided or reciprocal, related to distance or closeness between parents and children, and associated with measures of children's well‐being. Background The parental alienation hypothesis argues that denigration is one‐sided and distances children from the denigrated parent. Parental conflict research suggests that denigration is reciprocal and distances children from both parents, particularly the more frequently denigrating parent. Method Convenience samples totaling 994 young adults and including 157 sibling pairs completed a structured measure of denigration as well as several measures of parent–child relationship quality and individual well‐being. Results Parental denigration was measured reliably over time and between siblings. Denigration was highly reciprocal, linked to children feeling less close to both parents—particularly the one denigrating more often—and associated with a variety of measures of ill‐being. Results held both within and between siblings and in the 1% of cases of unilateral denigration. Conclusion Normatively, denigration appears to boomerang not alienate. Children consistently report feeling less close to parents who denigrate more than to parents who are the target of denigration. Implications Parents, and the professionals who work with them, must recognize the damage denigration does to denigrating parents' own relationship with their children. Findings also raise questions about alienation claims, which appear to be rare exceptions to the boomerang rule.

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“…Few empirical studies that evaluate reintegration therapeutic models have been conducted (Saini et al, 2016). Evaluations conducted to date each use different research designs and methods, and they consider diverse outcome variables of success, including a "repaired" parent-child relationship (Gardner, 2001;Rand et al, 2005;Reay 2015;Warshak, 2010Warshak, , 2018, a reduction in alienating behaviors (Gardner, 200;, Warshak, 2018), the satisfaction of the children and parents (Sullivan et al, 2010), improved coparent communication and cooperation (Toren et al, 2013), and children's overall levels of anxiety and depression (Toren et al, 2013).…”

Section: Summary Of the Current Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a climate of increased demand for accountability and effectiveness of services and interventions for children and parents in the family courts, there is a growing demand to consider the best available social science evidence when working with those involved in child custody disputes. The potential for negative consequences due to strained parent-child relationships postseparation and postdivorce and the complexity of resist/refusal dynamics in the courts (Saini et al, 2016) have resulted in an emergence of programs developed, implemented, and evaluated for both parents and children to improve their relationships (Baker, Burkhard, & Albertson-Kelly, 2012;Gardner, 2001;Kumar, 2003;Reay, 2015;Sullivan, Ward, & Deutsch, 2010;Toren et al, 2013;Warshak, 2010Warshak, , 2018. However, research to document potential program effectiveness is still in its infancy.…”

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confidence: 99%

Strengthening Coparenting Relationships to Improve Strained Parent–Child Relationships: A Follow‐Up Study of Parents’ Experiences of Attending the Overcoming Barriers Program

Saini¹

2019

Family Court Review

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Several interventions have been developed to address children's resistance and/or refusal to have contact with a parent following separation and divorce. There remains little agreement about how best to evaluate the success of these approaches. To explore the experiences of parents in the Overcoming Barriers Program (OCB), an online survey was distributed to all previous participants. Of the 40 parents who completed the survey at least six months after attending OCB, findings suggest mixed results. Benefits of OCB were more pronounced when changes were made to the coparenting relationships. Improvements in the coparenting relationship were specifically related to children's spending more time with both parents and better parent–child outcomes postintervention. Findings suggest that both the quality of parent–child relationships and the time that the children spend with both parents are associated with reported improvements in the cooperative coparenting relationship as a result of attending OCB. Implications are discussed in terms of lessons learned for developing, delivering, and evaluating similar programs for strained parent–child relationships.

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Empirical Studies of Alienation

Cited by 65 publications

References 0 publications

Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation

Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation

Parental Denigration Boomerangs Versus Alienates: Parent–Child Closeness, Reciprocity, and Well‐Being Using Multiple Informants

Strengthening Coparenting Relationships to Improve Strained Parent–Child Relationships: A Follow‐Up Study of Parents’ Experiences of Attending the Overcoming Barriers Program

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