Parental alienation happens when one parent tries to damage the relationship the child has with his or her other parent. Children who are suffering from parental alienation may refuse to talk or visit with the alienated parent, act disrespectfully, show no feelings of remorse for inappropriate behavior or speak negatively about the parent in front of others.
Children may also display symptoms of anxiety or depression, have anger issues, fear and sleep disorders in addition to a lack of focus or low self-esteem. Parental alienation can have significant, long-term effects on the child and the perception he or she has of the alienated parent.
Documentation
When children exhibit these signs of alienation, they can occur in patterns. It may be helpful for the alienated parent to record when they observe these changes in behavior.
The alienated parent may also want to retain information such as the time and date of phone calls, written correspondence from the other parent, text messages or other communication.
The alienated parent may also want to try to talk with the child directly to understand their perception of what is occurring. It can be a good opportunity for the alienated parent to reinforce their love and support for the child and it may be helpful to document the outcome of that conversation.
The more information the parent can provide about the signs and symptoms of parental alienation the child is displaying, the more it may help support the parent’s request for the court to intervene.
No parent should be alienated from their children and an experienced parental alienation attorney can protect their rights.
