Parental Alienation: The Blossoming of a Field of Study

Abstract

Parental alienation has been an unacknowledged and poorly understood form of family violence. Research on parental alienation and the behaviors that cause it has evolved out of decades of legal and clinical work documenting this phenomenon, leading to what could be considered a “greening,” or growth, of the field. Today, there is consensus among researchers as to what parental alienating behaviors are and how they affect children and the family system. We review the literature to detail what parental alienation is, how it is different from other parent–child problems such as estrangement and loyalty conflicts, and how it is perpetuated within and across different social systems. We conclude by highlighting research areas that need further investigation to develop and test effective solutions for ameliorating the devastating effects of parental alienation that, we posit, should be considered and understood not only as abusive to the child but also as a form of family violence directed toward both the child and the alienated parent.

MMPI-2 Profiles of Mothers Engaged in Parental Alienation

“…In some cases, the child succumbs to the emotional manipulation and comes to hold distorted thoughts and feelings about the targeted parent. This outcome is the result of PA behaviors that are engaged in over time with the deliberate aim of harming the targeted parent and his or her relationship with the child (Baker & Darnall, 2006; Harman et al, 2019; Verrocchio, Baker, et al, 2018). PA impacts individuals across all socioeconomic and demographic indicators, irrespective of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, education level, income, and racial group membership (Harman et al, 2019; Harman, Leder-Elder, et al, 2016).…”

“I've Never Felt Such Absolute Devastating Loss”: A Photo Elicitation Exploration of Men's Postseparation Experiences of Coping After Intimate Partner Violence

“…The narrative around this issue in research has been affected by the lack of quality research which means practitioners received mixed messages about what this behavior is characterized by, who can experience it, and how to best tackle it within a family court and practice setting. Future larger scale research is needed to explore this in more detail, including with more extensive exploration around interventions (Harman et al, 2019).…”

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

“…The terms used to refer to the concept of alienation have changed over the years from PAS to PA, then to PAD, and now back to PA (see Harman, Bernet, & Harman, ; Lorandos, ; Warshak, ). However, these name changes have not been accompanied by changes in behavioral criteria for PAS/PAD/PA (Geffner & Sandoval, ).…”