What Does Parental Alienation Look Like?
January 15, 2016 by West Coast ADR
Parental alienation can take many forms. While it’s not unusual for divorces or separated parents to harbor some negative feelings toward each other, when these feelings spill over into the child’s relationship with one parent, it can mean that parental alienation is occurring. While it is often an intentional action on the part of one parent, parental alienation can also happen unintentionally if the alienating parent is not aware that their actions are having a negative effect on the child.
Common behaviors of someone engaging in parental alienation include casting the other parent in a disparaging light in front of the child, undermining the other parent’s authority, telling the child that the other parent is not safe or is mean and trying to manipulate the child’s affections. In severe cases, the alienating parent may refuse to acknowledge the other parent’s existence or may tell the child that the other parent doesn’t really love or care about them.
Children who are victims of parental alienation often become very confused about what has happened and wind up parroting the words and beliefs of the alienating parent. The child may express a desire to stop seeing the other parent or indicate the he or she does not like or even love the other parent.
Canada law has several provisions for cases of parental alienation. The first step is usually to send something to the alienating parent in writing, informing them of the issue and requesting that the behavior stop, or attempt to work through the issue in mediation. If this doesn’t work, however, it may require further legal action such as bringing the case before a judge or asking for a change in the custody situation.
Parental alienation can take many forms. While it’s not unusual for divorces or separated parents to harbor some negative feelings toward each other, when these feelings spill over into the child’s relationship with one parent, it can mean that parental alienation is occurring. While it is often an intentional action on the part of one parent, parental alienation can also happen unintentionally if the alienating parent is not aware that their actions are having a negative effect on the child.
Common behaviors of someone engaging in parental alienation include casting the other parent in a disparaging light in front of the child, undermining the other parent’s authority, telling the child that the other parent is not safe or is mean and trying to manipulate the child’s affections. In severe cases, the alienating parent may refuse to acknowledge the other parent’s existence or may tell the child that the other parent doesn’t really love or care about them.
Children who are victims of parental alienation often become very confused about what has happened and wind up parroting the words and beliefs of the alienating parent. The child may express a desire to stop seeing the other parent or indicate the he or she does not like or even love the other parent.
Canada law has several provisions for cases of parental alienation. The first step is usually to send something to the alienating parent in writing, informing them of the issue and requesting that the behavior stop, or attempt to work through the issue in mediation. If this doesn’t work, however, it may require further legal action such as bringing the case before a judge or asking for a change in the custody situation.