Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by Dr. Richard Gardner in his book of the same name. He first laid out his thesis in 1985 in an article, "Recent Trends in Divorce and Custody Litigation." He expanded this into the book "Parental Alienation Syndrome," and since then, PAS has been written about, studdied, debated, denied, and - of course - has had dozens of websites and forums dedicated to it.
A brief overview of PAS will be helpful and will explain more about this condition than quoting from the hundreds of articles written about it. PAS has 4 components, and all 4 must be present (otherwise the situation is called "Parental Alienation"):
(1) --parent acting as gatekeeper to the children
(2) --unfounded allegations of abuse
(3) --deterioration in the relationship between child and parent from once-healthy to fearful
(4) --fear reaction of the child to the alienating parent
In other words, the alienating parent (usually the custodial parent) falsely accuses the non-custodial parent of an act of abuse against the child (2), makes these allegations to the child (2), uses these false allegations to restrict the contact between the parent and the child (1), which deteriorates the relationship between that child and the parent (3). During this process, the custodial parent is instilling fear in the child of opposing the false allegations (4), which - if it is effective enough - can make the child convince himself that the allegations are true.
PAS must be dealt with IMMEDIATELY. Sometimes the custodial parent may not be doing this consciously (custodial parent likes the power from (1), but if challenged, invents an abuse allegation (2) to continue, enjoys seeing the child turn away from non-custodial parent (3), which is reinforced by the custodial parent (4)), which is all the more reason that it must be challenged before it gets a foothold in the mind of the child.
Most states have petitions (a form of injunctive relief) to force visitation to occur IF the non-custodial parent is current in supoort AND there is no justifiable basis for the unilateral suppression of visitation. This is an extremely powerful weapon for the non-custodial parent, and the relief is immediate. The problem is that, for some reason, they are not as familiar with attorneys or judges. Youu may have to press your lawyer to file this.
Most states also have petitions to hold the custodial parent in contempt of court for violating court-ordered visitation schedules. These petitions are more familiar, but they seek to enforce visitation by making its denial painful to the custodial parent.
These petitions may not work the first time, but repeatedly bringing them may convince the judge to address the problem before the children actually hate the non-custodial parent, without any basis other than spite and meanness of the custodial parent.
Erik Carter is an experienced family law litigator. He has created a website to help non-custodial fathers at http://onestop.easystorecreator.net He has also written two books: "Aggressive Pleadings For The Non-Custodial Father" http://onestop.easystorecreator.net and "Six Temptations Of Jesus Christ" http://onestop.easystorecreator.net
Batchtown Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareQ. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More
The purpose of this article is to address some of... Read More
My son recently had his third birthday party and it... Read More
Teri was 5. As younger siblings do, she looked up... Read More
Did you know that the number of twin births have... Read More
If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child,... Read More
Reading is the most efficient and economical way to help... Read More
Is there a difference between lazy and unmotivated? Why do... Read More
No matter what you say or do, your kids will... Read More
Criticism is punitiveOur children judge themselves on the opinions we... Read More
Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Ink-pens? Check. Clear Skin? Mommmm!If you... Read More
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and... Read More
As a mom of 4 who's youngest child is about... Read More
MYTH: All teens have to rebel, and the teen years... Read More
Any parent whose baby has suffered from colic can tell... Read More
I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will... Read More
IntroductionChildren are the gifts of God to parents. That young... Read More
Ok. So you're a dad to be. If you're like... Read More
A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More
1. Encourage your babysitter by keeping their favorite foods/snacks on... Read More
There may really be a real monster under your kid???s... Read More
The girl's jaw dropped in horror as the police officer... Read More
Managing money is one of the most critical skills we... Read More
Child tantrums are a way for children to express their... Read More
Thank you for all that you do in the classroom!... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie... Read More
21 Reasons I Love Being A DadWhat you will read... Read More
1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your... Read More
I could nearly fund my children's future education if I... Read More
Picture this. Your child comes home with a special assignment... Read More
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of... Read More
AD/HD (attention deficit disorder) is one of the most common... Read More
If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be... Read More
Get into their world. The world that teens are growing... Read More
Minus all meningitis thoughts. The flu symptons were strong. Headache,... Read More
Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness... Read More
Despite the theory that people have kids because they want... Read More
Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend... Read More
Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of... Read More
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak... Read More
Choosing to leave your child with a caregiver is one... Read More
For the most positive daycare experience for your child, partner... Read More
"All that I am or ever hope to be, I... Read More
Many reasons will cause some people to feel the need... Read More
Winnie the Pooh is the classic picture of Inattentive ADHD.... Read More
We were all teens at one time for some many... Read More
For first time parents choosing a swing set or outdoor... Read More
Parenting |