Divorce can be messy, and unfortunately, some parents will attempt to involve their children in the drama. One way that this occurs is through parental alienation. Parental alienation involves a parent attempting to turn their child against the other parent by manipulating the child. Read on to learn more.
Who is Involved in Parental Alienation?
Parental alienation is incredibly complicated. But, those involved can be defined as:
- Alienator: parent doing the alienating
- Alienated: parent who is the subject of criticism/hateful allegations or claims
- Child: child who takes on the alienator’s view of the alienated
Signs of Parental Alienation
According to healthline.com, signs of parental alienation can include:
- The child constantly and unfairly criticizes the alienated parent
- The child doesn’t have any strong evidence, specific examples, or justifications for the criticisms
- The child’s feelings about the alienated parent aren’t mixed but are all negative
- The child claims the criticisms are all their own conclusions and based on their own independent thinking
- The child has unwavering support for the alienator
- The child feels no guilt about mistreating or hating the alienated parent
- The child uses terms and phrases that seem borrowed from adult language
- The child refers to situations that never happened or happened before the child’s memory
- The child’s feelings of hatred toward the alienated parent expand to include other family members related to that parent- This may include grandparents or cousins on that side of the family
What Can be Done About Parental Alienation?
If you believe you and your child are victims of parental alienation, it is important to contact an attorney right away. Parental alienation has been known to negatively impact children for years to come, even leading to things like relationship issues, depression, and substance abuse. Parental alienation can be extremely difficult to prove, but if you and your attorney can prove to a New York court that you and your child are victims of parental alienation, the court may alter your custody agreement. This will ensure that the alienator has less access to the child, and therefore less influence over the child’s thinking. Reach out to an experienced family law attorney as soon as possible.
If you believe you and your child are victims of parental alienation, it is important to act fast. Contact our firm to speak with a skilled attorney today.
Contact our Firm
The Law Office of Peter L. Jameson, PLLC understands the harsh implications of relocation can have on a child and his or her parents. When you have a contested relocation matter, it is important to have an experienced attorney to represent you in court. If you are faced with a relocation matter in Rockland County, contact The Law Office of Peter L. Jameson, PLLC today to schedule a consultation.
