We believe in a world where every child can grow up in a safe environment filled with love, support, and the right to be loved by both healthy parents. Unfortunately, the reality is often far from this ideal. Our work helps address one of the most pervasive yet overlooked issues impacting families today.
Understanding Psychological Abuse
Parental alienation occurs when one parent’s actions purposefully damage or even destroy their child’s relationship with the other parent. It can involve a wide range of behaviors, from badmouthing the other parent in front of the child to manipulating past events to create negative perceptions or preventing the other parent from spending time with the child.
Parental alienation can result in serious, lasting harm — not only to the alienated parent, but also the child involved. Children caught in the crossfire of their parents’ conflicts face increased risks of adverse childhood experiences and psychological abuse.
High-conflict custody battles often manifest as court filings and are frequently preceded by calls to Child Protective Services or law enforcement. We believe that children and their parents deserve early intervention and protection before further conflict escalates the risks to the child.
Of course, extreme and substantiated cases of child abuse or domestic violence exist. These cases fall under the purview of criminal courts and are not suitable for our program. Instead, we focus on intervening in cases where early action can mitigate the risks children face.
Further Reading
Parental alienation is a pervasive issue with global ramifications. We invite you to learn more about this issue.
- “Parental Alienating Behaviors: An Unacknowledged Form of Family Violence”
Jennifer J. Harman, Denise A. Hines, and Edward Kruk (2018) - “Parental Alienation: The Blossoming of a Field of Study”
Jennifer J. Harman, Joseph Harman, William Bernet (2019) - “Allegations of Family Violence in Court: How Parental Alienation Affects Judicial Outcomes”
Jennifer J. Harman, Demosthenes Lorandos (2020)
Embracing Shared Parenting
International awareness and evidence-based solutions are essential to protect the well-being of children and the unity of families around the world. One such solution is shared parenting.
The National Parents Organization 2019 Shared Parenting Report Card notes a growing consensus among researchers that shared parenting is usually best for children — even when there is (nonviolent) conflict between parents. And the benefits to children increase as they have more equal time with each of their fit and loving parents.
National Parents Organization has evaluated states’ legislation around shared parenting and offers a look at how each compares in its interactive map. The map below illustrates findings from 2019.
Clearly, there’s a lot of work to do. At the Family Preservation Alliance, we are resolute in our mission to safeguard family values, protect shared parenting, and champion the rights of parents and children.
Our dedication to evidence-based practices and sound policies within our work will help us combat challenges to scientific knowledge, evidence-based practices, and legislative initiatives in the realms of parental alienation, shared parenting, and domestic violence. We are committed to ensuring that no child, parent, or family member endures the devastating impact of psychological abuse.