Parental alienation is more common than people realize. In fact, some studies estimate that as many as 25% of custody disputes are fueled by alienating behavior. This means that heading into your child custody dispute, there’s a fair possibility that you’re going to have to confront this issue. Your first step is understanding what parental alienation is and how to spot it.
What is parental alienation?
Parental alienation is the manipulation of a child with the intent to distance them from their other parent. There are several ways this manipulation can occur, including cutting you off from contact with your child, feeding your child false information about you or your relationship with the other parent, and talking negatively about you in front of your child.
The signs of parental alienation can be obvious, but they’re not always so easily chalked up to alienation. Here are some signs of parental alienation that you’ll want to be on the lookout for:
- Your child unrelentingly criticizes you and your extended family.
- Your child makes harsh statements against you that have no basis in fact.
- Your child exhibits unwavering support for the other parent.
- Your child falsely believes allegations about being abused or neglected.
- You’re kept out of the loop as far as what’s going on with your child academically and medically.
- You’re denied visitation, even when it’s ordered by the court.
There are several other ways that alienation can present itself. Just be aware of how your child is responding to you. If you sense that something is off, then you’ll want to dig deeper to see if your child’s response is attributable to alienation.
How can you bring alienation to a stop?
Parental alienation can be harmful to your child and your relationship with them. In fact, some experts equate parental alienation with child abuse. But how do you protect your child from this egregious behavior? Here are some tips:
- Keep a journal: Writing down every symptom of parental alienation can help you keep track of them all and quickly recall them in detail when you need to. This will illustrate to the court the extent and severity of the problem.
- Make requests for contact in writing: If your child’s other parent is blocking you from having contact with your child, then you need to reduce your requests to writing so that you’re making a record of your attempts. This will give you evidence to show your consistency and the other parent’s habitual conduct in denying access to your child.
- Don’t fall into alienating behavior: Even when you know that alienation is occurring, you shouldn’t give into the temptation to get back at your spouse. Remember, bad mouthing the other parent in front of your child or telling your child false information about the other parent is alienating behavior that can be harmful to your child.
- Seek a custody modification: The best way to protect your child is to modify your existing custody order in a way that shields your child from the other parent. You’ll need to demonstrate a substantial change in circumstances, which you might be able to do if you follow the other tips mentioned above.
Don’t let parental alienation ruin your relationship with your child
Parental alienation is a serious issue that has to be addressed in a timely manner if you want to protect your child and your relationship with them. That’s why if you suspect parental alienation, now is the time to act. If you want to know more about how to navigate a child custody modification request, then please continue to read through our blog and browse the rest of our website.