Objectives: The aims of the study were to determine targeted parent experiences of parental alienation post-separation from the alienating parent, and to investigate common targeted parent characteristics. Method: A total of 225 targeted parents completed an online survey. Results: Targeted parents reported experiencing high severity of exposure to parental alienation tactics. Targeted parent sex and targeted child age significantly predicted variance in exposure to parental alienation. Targeted mothers experienced significantly higher severity of exposure to parental alienation than targeted fathers. Severity of exposure to parental alienation tactics significantly predicted increases in the appraisal of the parental alienation situation as threatening. Conclusions: The findings offered new insights into targeted parent appraisals of their parental alienation experience. The results signified the seriousness of the impact of exposure to parental alienation for targeted parents, and highlighted a need for empirical research into the effectiveness of interventions and support services to assist targeted parents.

This study investigated the targeted parent experience of parental alienation and alienating behaviors. One hundred and twenty-six targeted parents provided narratives in response to an open-ended question at the end of an online survey. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework was used to identify themes in the data. Six themes were identified illustrating targeted parents’ experience of parental alienation and alienating behaviors. Targeted parents described physical and emotional distance separating them from their child, emotional and financial costs associated with their engagement with “systems” such as legal systems and child protection systems. They described poor mental health and concern for their child’s psychological well-being. Targeted parents considered alienating behaviors to be a form of family violence. Additionally, targeted parents used active coping behaviors. It was concluded that further research is needed to better understand parental alienation. Mental health and legal professionals must collaborate to optimize support for targeted parents.

Rannsóknin beindist að upplifun útsettra foreldra af foreldraútilokun og útilokandi hegðun. Eitt hundrað tuttugu og sex útsettir foreldrar svöruðu opinni spurningu í lok netkönnunar og sögðu frá reynslu sinni. Stuðst var við þemagreiningu Braun og Clarke (2006) til að greina þemu í gögnunum. Greind voru sex þemu sem lýsa reynslu útsettra foreldra af foreldraútilokun og útilokandi hegðun. Útsettir foreldrar lýstu því hvernig þeir upplifa líkamlega og tilfinningalega viðskilnað við börn sín, og þeir lýstu hvernig afskipti þeirra af „kerfum“ eins og réttarkerfi og barnaverndarkerfi taki af þeim toll, fjárhagslega og tilfinningalega. Foreldrarnir lýstu vanlíðan og áhyggjum af andlegri velferð barna sinna. Útsettir foreldrar litu á útilokandi hegðun sem birtingarmynd heimilisofbeldis. Útsettir foreldrar sýndu einnig fram á virka spjörunarhegðun (e. coping behavior). Niðurstaðan er sú að þörf sé á frekari rannsóknum, svo hægt sé að öðlast dýpri skilning á foreldraútilokun. Geðheilbrigðisstarfsfólk og lögfræðingar þurfa að vinna saman, svo hægt sé að veita útsettum foreldrum viðunandi stuðning.