Usually, kids victimized by Parental Alienation Syndrome have felt obliged to choose between their parents and have chosen the custodial parent on the other parent.
The term Parental Alienation Syndrome was invented by Richard A. Gardner in the 80s. The child himself tries to denigrate the target parent.
Criteria a mental medical expert might look for: Access and Contact Blocking Criteria 1 – The abusive parent will actively block access to the children.
They justify this blocking in various ways, but the most typical justification is in the interest of protecting the kid or children.
The blocking parent tends to feel superior and that the blocked parent is inferior, therefore should be pushed to the periphery of the kid or children’s life.
Unfounded Abuse Allegations Criteria 2 – False allegations of Abuse against the absent parent.
The most extreme version of this allegation is an accusation of sexual abuse.
Over 50% of all allegations of sexual abuse are made when parents are divorced or in some post-divorce conflict.
Surprisingly physical abuse is less common.
Missing bruises along with other marks provided in a physical abuse investigation is frequently a deterrent for a physical abuse allegation from the alienating parent.
Emotional abuse is relatively common.
Most investigations into emotional abuse reveal disagreements between how parents want their kids raised as the origin of the allegation.
Deterioration in Relationship Since Separation Criteria 3 – Deterioration in a relationship since separation is the degeneration of a once positive relationship between the kid or kids and the absent parent.
Children typically don’t become distant from their non-residential parent simply because they do not live with them full time.
Consequently, if there’s a big change in this relationship Parental Alienation Syndrome is a very common culprit.
Intense Fear Reaction by Children Criteria 4 – If there’s an obvious fear reaction on the portion of the kid or kids when around the alienated parent.
The kid or kids might fear they’ll be physically abused, sexually abused, even just emotionally abused.
There are multiple factors that may contribute to this intense fear.
The kid or kids can be on a regular basis threatened with abandonment by the non-absent parent.
The offending parent can be warning the kid or kids that when they’re disobedient to them, then the kid or kids may have to live with the absent parent.
This appeals to the child’s sense of fear and positions staying with some other parent as a punishment.
Conclusion: Parental Alienation Syndrome or PAS will have some of the criteria above, but not all. These criteria are in and of themselves not proof that a young kid or kids are suffering from Parental Alienation Syndrome.