When parents go through a divorce, it is impossible to keep track of every single thing that happens. Unfortunately, spiteful and bitter parents may use this time of distraction as a way to drive a wedge between their child and co-parent.
This act – parental alienation – damages not only the relationship between parent and child but can negatively impact the child for months or years to come. Thus, it is important to recognize parental alienation from the start.
What is parental alienation?
The Psychiatric Times discusses the impact of parental alienation. This happens when one parent tries to alienate their co-parent from their child, often through abusive means such as manipulation and gaslighting.
The alienating parent often does everything in their power to prevent the alienated parent from gaining or maintaining connections with their child, often to the detriment of the child. After all, courts often classify parental alienation as a form of child psychological abuse.
Red flags of alienation
The red flags indicating parental alienation may show themselves quickly. Children will often display a sudden reluctance to spend time with the alienated parent. They may make false claims about the parent in question and act as though they are reciting things they have heard from someone else.
They may suddenly know deeply personal matters about the alienated parent, painted in a way to make them seem villainous or unlikeable. They may even believe in outright lies or exaggerations of the truth that no longer represent the reality of the situation. Anyone who recognizes these signs should act immediately by asking for legal help in deciding what to do next.