How to Recognize Parental Alienation

Parental alienation occurs when one parent manipulates their child to reject or harbor negative feelings toward the other parent. This behavior can have detrimental effects on the child’s emotional well-being and the parent-child relationship. Recognizing the signs of parental alienation is crucial for addressing and preventing further harm.

Signs of Parental Alienation

You may first witness signs of parental alienation in how your children respond to you. Your children may have a high opinion of the other parent, but a low opinion of you. In some cases, children who are victims of parental alienation will even make up accusations against the targeted parent.

Alienating parents may engage in negative or derogatory comments about you in front of your child. They may also prevent your children from contacting you or obstruct your communication, in an attempt to make the child believe you do not want contact.

Effects of Parental Alienation

Children subjected to parental alienation may experience heightened levels of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem due to the constant conflict and manipulation. This can strain or even sever their relationship with the targeted parent, causing long-term damage to trust and family dynamics.

In families where parental alienation is prevalent, children may feel confused about the targeted parent. If they enjoy their time with that parent, they might ask the parent to keep it secret, fearing the shame or guilt of betraying the alienating parent.

Interventions

Interventions for parental alienation—such as mediation, co-parenting education, and counseling—can help encourage healthy communication between children and both of their parents.

Bottom Line: Parental alienation occurs when one parent manipulates a child to reject the other, causing lasting emotional and relational harm that may require intervention through counseling or mediation.