Unfortunately, during some divorce proceedings, one or both parents will attempt parental alienation in order to hurt their spouse or another family member. Parental alienation is the psychological manipulation of a child into showing disrespect, hostility, or fear toward a parent or other family member for no good reason.
Parental alienation is known as a form of psychological abuse and domestic violence that occurs mainly because of family separation of divorce. It has also led to what has been called parental alienation syndrome in children—when kids dislike talking or seeing the alienated parent or shoe a lack of empathy or guilt when mistreating the parent.
The behavior usually occurs in a parent that has unresolved anger toward the other parent for perceived wrongs during the relationship, or they could have a psychological disorder that makes them unable to empathize with their child’s feelings.
It can happen when the offending parent attacks the other parent’s character or lifestyle, encourages the child to pretend the other parent doesn’t exist, emphasizes the other parent’s flaws, and lies about how the other parent treats the child.
This kind of behavior is damaging for many reasons, not the least of which is that it may ruin the relationship between the child and his or her parent. If the court determines parental alienation is happening, it could take action if the other parent files a complaint about the custodial parent’s fitness to parent the child.
If you think you are the victim of parental alienation, talk to one of our skilled St. Charles divorce attorneys today. The lawyers at Smith Law Offices, LLC have been helping Missouri couples with family law situations for more than 20 years. Let us see how we can help you resolve your difficult situation.
Call us at (636) 400-1177 or fill out our online form to schedule a case consultation with us today.