PARENTALALIENATIONSYNDROME
AnneH.Jarrett
AnneH.Jarrett,P.C.
Marietta,Georgia
AMERICANACADEMYOFMATRIMONIALLAWYERS
ANNUALFAMILYLAWSEMINAR
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ParentalAlienationSyndrome
AnneH.Jarrett
Marietta,Georgia
“Parentalalienationisaformofrelationalaggressionbyoneparentagainstthe
otherparentusingtheircommonchildren.Theprocesscanbecomecyclicwitheach
parentattemptingtoalienatethechildrenfromtheother.Thereispotentialfora
negativefeedbackloopandescalation.Atothertimesanaffectedparentmaywithdraw
leavingthechildrentothealienatingparent.Childrensoalienatedoftensuffereffects
similartothosestudiedinthepsychologyoftorture.”(Wikipedia.)
Thestudyofandapproachestoparentalalienationhavechangeddrasticallysince
thedayswhenmostofusbecamefamiliarwiththesyndrome,basedonthewritingsof
RichardGardnerandothers.Theemphasisnowisontheextremeandsignificant
damagedonetochildrenplacedinthissituation,rathersolelyontheplightofthe
alienatedparent.Thediagnosisandevidenceconcerningparentalalienationhaslong
sinceprogressedfromsuchaccusationsasinterferencewithvisitation,interferencewith
ormonitoringofphonecallsanddenigrationoftheotherparent.
Expertsnowstatethattrueparentalalienationsyndromeinvolvesmuchmore
insidiousandperniciousbehaviorbythealienatingparentagainstthetargetedparent,
withtheapparentgoalofcompletelydestroyingthetargetedparent’srelationshipwith
thechild(oftenaspartofdestroyingthetargetedparentcompletely)andsimplyusing
thechildrenasthedevicetoaccomplishthisgoal.Alienatedchildrens’actionsand
wordsarerootedinfear;fearofabandonmentbythealienatedparentandrealityforthe
childistopleasethealienator.
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Whileparentalalienationandparentalalienationsyndromeinandofthemselves
arenotnewconcepts,therehavebeensignificantchangesinrecentyearsaboutthe
methodsofdiagnosingandattemptingtorectifythesyndrome.Onearticleby
prominentexpertsinthefieldidentifyfourcriteriatoestablishtheexistenceofPAS:
theblockingofaccessandcontact
unfoundedallegationsofabuse(physical,sexual,emotional)
deteriorationinrelationshipsinceseparation
intensefearreactionbychildren
(“ParentalAlienationSyndrome:HowtoDetectItandWhattoDoAboutIt”,J.Michael
BoneandMichaelR.Walsh,FloridaBarJournal,Vol.73,N0.3,March1999.)
Therealbattleinaddressingthesyndromeisnotjustthediagnosisandthe
persuasionofthecourtofitsexistenceinaparticularcase,requiringthetestimonyof
therapistswhoarePASexperts,butinproperlydraftingandmonitoringthesituation
afterthelitigationhasbeenfinalized.Theexpertsseemtoagreethatextremelydetailed,
prohibitiveandproscriptiveCourtOrdersarenecessarytocombatandremedythe
syndrome,andthatapartofthismayincludecontinualsupervisionandmonitoringby
theCourtoritsdesignee.Somejurisdictionsnowrequiretheappointmentofatypeof
guardian(sometimesreferredtoasaSpecialMaster)toessentiallyenforcetheOrder
andregulatethevariousstagesoftheOrder.
Inextremecases,itisinitiallyessentialtoattempttostopthecycleofthesyndrome
byimposinganocontacttimeperiod,suchasninetydaysorevensixmonths.Thisno
contactperiodwiththealienatingparentshouldincludenocontactwiththeparent’s
relatives,associatesordesigneesandshouldincludenocontactpersonally,by
telephone,byemail,textingoranyothermethod.Thechildrenshouldreceiveintensive
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therapybyatherapistknowledgeableinthefieldofPAS.Afteraperiodofnocontact,
theCourtmaythenorderaresumptionoflimitedvisitation(usuallysupervised)with
thechildandalienatingparent,circumscribedbyveryspecificrulesregardingvisitation
supervisors,topicsnottobeaddressedordiscussed(suchasthetargetedparent)and
thenatureofactivitiesduringvisits.
TheappointmentofaGuardianorSpecialMastertoenforcetheOrderisextremely
important;alienatingparentsarenoteasilyinclinedtogiveuponthealienation
program,andcanoftenfindcreativemethodstocircumventtheOrder.Ofcourse,the
impactonthechildrenisoflittleconsequencetoanalienatingparentandanyregiment
thatattemptstoappealtoanalienatingparent’sbetterinstinctstodowhatisbestfor
thechildrenwillnotbeeffective.TheSpecialMasterorGuardiancanneverassumethat
thealienatingparentwillsimplyfollowtheOrder,anditcanbenecessaryinsomecases
toaborttheprogressivestepsofanOrderandreverttothefirststepintheinterestof
protectingthechildren.
Thefollowingaresomeverygeneralizedsampleparagraphsthatmaybeof
assistanceindraftingaProhibitiveOrder:
a)ItistheintentoftheCourtthatthechildrenbereunitedwith______,
withtheassistanceoftheirtherapistandtheSpecialMasterwhoshallallworktoward
normalizingtherelationship.
b)ItisOrderedthatthechildrenremainincounselingforthepurposeofre-
unificationtherapybetweenthechildrenand______.Thetherapyshall
continueuntilterminatedbythepsychologist.Bothpartiesshallcooperatewiththe
therapistandparticipateinthetherapyasrequiredbythetherapist.
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c)Thereshallbenocontactbetween______andthechildrenfor90
days.ThisnocontactprovisionincludestheCourt’sOrderthatthereshallbenovisits
withthechildren,notelephonecallstothechildren,noemailstothechildren,notext
messagingtothechildrennoranycontactviathirdparties.
d)Attheendofthesuccessfulcompletionofthe90daynocontactperiod,
______shallbeentitledtohavesupervisedvisitationwiththechildren.All
supervisedvisitsandothermonitoredcontactwiththechildren(suchastelephonecalls
andemails,which______shallbeentitledtorecord)shallbesupportiveof
______andthereunificationof______andthechildbeforeany
unsupervisedvisitationmayoccur.Supervisionarrangementsshallbemadethrougha
professionalsupervisioncenter.Supervisedvisitationandmonitoredcontactshall
continueuntilthechildren’stherapistortheCourtortheSpecialMasterstipulatethat
thechildrenhavesubstantiallyimprovedtheirrelationshipwith______and
that______issupportiveof______asaparent.
e)Rulesforvisitationand______’scontactwiththechildren:______
shallnotinanywaydiscussanyfinancialissueswiththechildren,directlyorindirectly,
includingthepaymentofchildsupport,costoftherapyoranyotherissue.
______shallnotdiscussthelitigationwithorinthepresenceofthechildren.
Neitherparentshalldisparagetheother.______isprohibitedfromofferingany
opinionsabout______ordiscussinganydecisionsmadeby______.
f)TheCourtherebyappoints______asSpecialMaster.TheSpecial
Mastershallhavetheauthoritytomodifyvisitationandtheconditionssurrounding
visitationandtomodifyallformsofcontactbetween______andthechildren.
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TheSpecialMastershallinpartbasehisdeterminationon______’scompliance
withthisCourtOrder,______’sattemptstobesupportiveof______’s
parentingrole,improvementofthechildrenintheirrelationshipwith______
andtherecommendationsofthechildren’stherapist.TheSpecialMastershallhavethe
authoritytoremovevisitationorimposemonetaryornon-monetarysanctionsinthe
eventthat______isnotfollowingtherulesofvisitation.TheSpecialMaster
shallhavetheauthoritytoreinstateprohibitiveportionsofthisOrderintheeventof
violationsby______.
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