NPO ISSUE | PARENTAL ALIENATION

13.4% of parents & their children had been victims of parental alienation behavior & nearly half of these were severe cases.

 

Parental alienation refers to conduct by one parent to unjustifiably damage the relationship that a child has with the other parent. Through this conduct, an offending parent seeks to gain the exclusive loyalty of the children, often resulting in long term harm to the other parent and, especially, the children. While there is disagreement among scientists as to whether there is a psychological syndrome, Parental Alienation Syndrome, no one familiar with divorcing/separating parents is unfamiliar with the phenomenon of parental alienation. 

PROBLEM SCOPE

A recent study found that 13.4% of parents and their children had been victims of parental alienation behavior and nearly half of these were severe cases. Given that half of all children in the United States will experience the ending of their parent’s marriage, this means that there are a great many children who are victims of parental alienation. Mothers and fathers are equally capable of engaging in this conduct and equally vulnerable to being victimized by it.

ADVERSE EFFECTS

Alienating behavior is extremely harmful to children. As one leading researcher noted, the existing research “suggests that alienated children and parents suffer many negative outcomes. These can include psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse and even the contemplation of or attempted suicide. Declines in academic performance among children and decreases in work productivity of parents can also occur.”

HOW NPO IS ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE

The science is clear and overwhelming: parental alienation exists and causes innumerable harms to children. We present the facts.

 

Misconceptions about parental alienation prevent real action from being taken to remedy it. NPO publishes and promotes the best research on the subject to bring awareness to the real problem of parental alienation and the methods that have been found to prevent and combat it.

Our Work

  • NPO has partnered with the Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG) and prominent researchers to create a series of research handouts that clarify and promote the research on parental alienation.

  • NPO conducts and publishes interviews with leading researchers on parental alienation to present new research in ways that the public can easily understand and share.

ADVERSE EFFECTS

  • NPO worked with Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG) and PAS Intervention to counter the messaging of Special Rapporteur for the UNSRVAW Reem Alsalem’s report calling parental alienation ‘pseudo-science.’ The UN Human Rights Council did not end up endorsing her report or taking action to implement her suggestions.