Welcome To

1. Welcome To Parental Alienation: Unrecognized Abuse Presented to FASP Annual Conference October 28, 2009

2. Presented By Robert A. Evans, Ph.D. Certified/Licensed School Psychologist Pinellas County Schools & The Center for Human Potential of American, Inc. 2706 Alternate 19 North Ste 214 Palm Harbor, FL 34685 727-669-5707

3. Parent Alienation Parental alienation refers to the child’s strong alliance with one parent and rejection of a relationship with the other parent without legitimate justification Parental Alienation Disorder (coming to a DSM-V near you – soon)

4. Dx Criteria Child’s parents engaged in a hostile divorce Child allies self with one parent (preferred parent) Rejects a relationship with other parent (alienated parent) No legitimate justification

5. PA Behaviors Campaign of Denigration Weak, frivolous and absurd rationalizations Lack of ambivalence Independent-thinker phenomenon

6. PA Disorder Behaviors Reflexive support of preferred parent Absence of Guilt Borrowed Scenarios Animosity toward extended family

7. CHAPTER 39 PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO CHILDREN • 39.001  Purposes and intent • (3)  GENERAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN: • (a)  Protection from abuse, abandonment, neglect, and exploitation. • (b)  A permanent and stable home. • (c)  A safe and nurturing environment which will preserve a sense of personal dignity and integrity. • (e)  Effective treatment to address physical, social, and emotional needs, regardless of geographical location.

8. What Is Abuse? (b)  "Child abuse" means abandonment, abuse, harm, mental injury, neglect, physical injury, or sexual abuse of a child as those terms are defined in s. 39.01, 827.04, and 984.03 (2)  "Abuse" means any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, or sexual injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child's physical, mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired. Abuse of a child includes acts or omissions.

9. FL Statute 61 61.13  Custody and support of children; visitation rights; power of court in making orders • Establishing/modifying parental responsibility • Parenting plans: time-sharing with the minor child • The best interest of the child shall be the primary consideration • Determination of the best interests shall be made by evaluating all the factors affecting the welfare and interests of the minor child

10. 61.13 Dissolution of Marriage, Support, Time Sharing 19 Factors some of which include the words: facilitate and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship consider and act upon the needs of the child capacity …to communicate with and keep the other parent informed … adopt a unified front on all major issues Evidence of … child abuse, … refraining from disparaging comments abut the other parent to the child. capacity and disposition of each parent to meet the child’s developmental needs

11. Parental Alienation Syndrome • First introduced in 1985 • Child is preoccupied with deprecation and criticism • More than brainwashing • 1980’s Proliferation of literature on disturbing trends, including false allegations of abuse to influence the outcome in a divorce/custody case.

12. History • Three (3) other syndromes were identified: • 1986 Blush & Ross Sex Abuse Allegations in Divorce (SAID) [typologies for the falsely accusing parent, the child and the accused parent] • Jacobs (NY) & Wallerstein (CA) reported MEDEA Syn • 1994: Turkat described the “Malicious Mother Syn.” • Clawar and Rivlin published Children Held Hostage by the Am. Bar Assoc. in 1991 • 80% programming of some level • 20% programming at least once a day • J. Johnson’s work on high conflict divorce studied children who refused visitation

13. History When PAS is studied from the standpoint of parts and subprocesses which creates the whole, the literature on Parental Alienation and/or PAS is enormous!

14. Parent Alienation • Specific actions by an Alienating Parent • Includes: • Criticizing • Attacking the other (target) parent in front of and ultimately with the children.   • An attempt to remove “Target Parent” (TP) • Make it appear it is the child who feels this way • These behaviors are predictable and form an identifiable pattern.

15. Parental Alienation The pattern of these behaviors forms four Criteria: • Visitation or access blocking • False allegations of abuse/or unfit parenting against the TP • Deteriorated relationship between child and TP since separation   • Exaggerated fear reaction by the child at displeasing the Alienating Parent

16. External/Internal Deterioration • External • Refers to how the child behaves in front of various audiences. • Internal • The subjective deterioration of the child’s view of the TP

17. Fear Reaction Regarding Displeasing the AP • The AP may actually reject the child • Child overtly fearful of the AP • The AP infantilizedby the child; “enmeshed”; lines of responsibility misplaced; lots of blame • These are common in divorce when PA is notpresent. However, if present with all three other criteria, they serve to shape and intensify these behaviors very distinctly to a point where they become a relational theme. • When alienation is present this quality of enmeshment forms the core of the Alienating Parent-child relationship.

18. Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) • PAS can occur with or without abuse accusations • There is an increase in PAS type cases with accusations by the AP that the TP is the parent who is practicing PAS • PAS only applies where abuse, neglect and other conduct by the TP, which would reasonable justify the alienation, are relatively minimal.

19. Child’s Underlying Psychodynamics • Maintaining the Primary Psychological Bond • Stronger bond with primary caretaker • Fear of losing primary psychological bond • Reaction Formation • Obsessive hatred can be a disguise for deep love • The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference

20. Child’s Underlying Psychodynamics • Identification with the aggressor • Seeking protection from that aggressor • Compensation for feeling insecure • Identification with an idealized person • Alienating parents may idealize themselves to the child

21. Child’s Underlying Psychodynamics • Child loses their ability to identify with the TP • Expresses hostility • The expression of PAS can be a release of emotions • Power • Venting rage creates a feeling of power within the child

22. Child’s Underlying Psychodynamics • Need to exercise caution with accusations of abuse • Infectiousness of the Energy of Emotions • Emotions are contagious • APs infect, albeit sometimes unknowingly, with their negative feelings • Sexual Rivalry • TP’s involvement with another adult may cause problems • Combined with a custody dispute increases the chance of PAS

23. Teaching To Hate In its worst form, a child may be taught to believe that a parent has abused them when it’s not true.

24. Teaching To Hate Dr. Garbarino identified 5 patterns of parental behavior which constitute psychological maltreatment: 1. Rejecting 2. Ignoring 3. Isolating 4. Terrorizing 5. Corrupting

25. Interference with Social Competence and Self Esteem • Conflict resolution skills: squelched • Learning healthy self-esteem: deprived • Child learns to act manipulatively and aggressively towards others. • Child fails to learn empathy; a critical, social skill condition for successful adult functioning • Child learns to be paranoid and adopt the pathology of the favored parent

26. Teaching To Hate The loss of a caring parent is an extreme loss. The best interest of the child is to have both loving parents in their lives. The child is not the only victim of parental alienation. The entire family is a casualty and suffers from this problem.

27. 3 Types of Parental Alienation • Mild • Moderate • Severe

28. Specific PAS behaviors • Destroying TP’s items • Deprive children contact with TP • Communicates to the child the TP was so despicable and hateful all evidence of their existence must be obliterated • Destroying photographs of pleasant and joyful experiences

29. Specific PAS behaviors • Destruction of extended family photos • Frequently begins when child learns about impending custody dispute • AP discloses child custody dispute to the child • Child allowed to read legal documents involved in the case.

30. Specific PAS behaviors • Exaggerate a parent’s minor psychological problems • Labeling a parent an “alcoholic” because they have a drink • Distant history of drug experimentation warrants a label of “drug addict”

31. Specific PAS behaviors • An AP threatens child • “I can see why you hate him, but you’ll have to go and visit or else the judge will get made at me.”

32. Clinical manifestations of PAS in the TP • Confusion and Guilt re: Parent – Child Relationship • Generate self-blame • Feeling Impotent - Rage • Fail to understand what has happened • Enormous frustration which leads to anger, then rage then fury • No-Win Situation • If the TP presses to see their children, they are criticized for “harassment” by the AP. • If the TP pulls back and does nothing, hoping the children will come to their senses, they are labeled “abandoners.” • Schools • APs commonly attempt to obstruct the TP’s involvement in school activities.

33. Clinical manifestations of PAS in the TP • Passive parents will allow themselves to be excluded from school activities • Alienators attempt to enlist the help of school administrators who frequently do not want to “make waves” and go along with the alienator’s wishes. • New Partners • PAS can have a devastating effect on new relationships • Sometimes PAS doesn’t begin until there is a new partner

34. Children Held Hotage • Am. Bar Assoc. research authored by Stanley S. Clawar, Ph.D. and Bryne Rivlin, M.S.S., 1991 • Sample: N=700 • Age range of children=infancy through 20 yo • Case focus 75% over custody • Occupations of Parents (15% professional; 25% Business; 20% skilled; 15% semi-skilled; 15% unskilled; 10% unemployed)

35. How Children Are Effected • Anger • Loss or lack of impulse control • Loss of self-confidence • Development of fears and phobias • Fear of abandonment • School phobia • Hypochondriasis • Fear of the future • Fear of death

36. How Children Are Effected • School-Related problems • Sibling problems • Anger issues • Behavioral regression • Depression & Suicidal ideation • Sleep problems • Eating problems • Academic problems • Withdrawal • Confusion • Enuresis • Daydreaming

37. How Children Are Effected Drug abuse/other self-destructive behaviors Peer group problems Psychosomatic disorders Obsessive-compulsive behavior Anxiety Excessive guilt Retreat into fantasy

38. School-Related Problems Acting out Social withdrawal Grade fluctuations Insubordination Truancy Feeling life is chaotic and uncontrollable

39. Adult Children of PAS Amy J. L. Baker Published 2007 N=40 Interviews Low Self-Esteem (n=26, 65%) Depression (n=28, 70%) Drug & Alcohol Problems (n=14, 35%) Lack of Trust (n=16, 40%) Alienated from their own children (n=14, 50%) Divorce (n=23, 57.5%)

40. Amy J. L. Baker • Other areas (less prominent) of impact: • Problems with identity • No sense of belonging or roots • Choosing not to have children to avoid rejection • Low academic and career achievement • Anger and bitterness of time lost from a parent • Problems with memory

41. Long Term Effects of Trauma November 2009 American Journal of Preventive Medicine 14-year-old Adverse Childhood Experiences Study 17,337 adults Medical questionnaire that included questions about their childhood

42. Traumatic childhood takes 20 yearsoff life expectancy Asked about 10 types of child trauma Three types of abuse (sexual, physical and emotional) Two types of neglect (physical & emotional) Five types of family dysfunction (having a mother who was treated violently, a household member who’s an alcoholic or drug user, who’s been imprisoned, or diagnosed with mental illness, or parents who are separated or divorced).

43. Traumatic childhood Findings have stunned researchers Strong link: adverse childhood experiences and adult onset of chronic illness Significantly higher rates of heart disease and diabetes Chronic pulmonary lung disease increased 390 percent; hepatitis, 240 percent; depression, 460 percent; suicide, 1,220 percent.

44. Traumatic childhood 4,600 percent increase in the likelihood of becoming an IV drug Died nearly 20 years earlier on average — 60.6 years versus 79.1 years a person who has been emotionally abused, physically neglected and grew up with an alcoholic father who beat up his wife would have an ACE score of 4

45. Controversies surrounding PAS PAS oversimplifies the causes of alienation PAS: • leads to confusion in clinical work with alienated children • is not reliable as a clinical concept • is not a valid concept • is not a syndrome • lacks adequate scientific foundation to be considered a syndrome

46. Controversies surrounding PAS • The Frye rule: from a 1923 decision which holds that for scientific evidence to be admissible it must be gathered using techniques that have gained general acceptance in their field.

47. Controversies surrounding PAS • In 1993 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. set the guidelines for the admissibility of scientific expert testimony. The factors in Daubert are: (a) is the theory or technique based on methodology that can or has been tested?; (b) has the theory or technique been the subject of peer review and publication?; (c) what is the known or potential rate of error?; (d) does the technique enjoy general acceptance within the scientific community? • Does PAS meet the criteria set forth in either Frye or Daubert? • PAS has not passed peer reviews

48. Controversies surrounding PAS • PAS unfairly blames one parent for the family’s dysfunction • PAS recommends forced time to be spent with the targeted parent • PAS is not real because it is not in the DSM-IV (yet)! Putting the pieces together.

49. Case Law • Kilgore vs. Boyd Case No. 94-7573 • PAS passes the Frye Test • Testimony on PAS will assist in deciding best interest • PAS has been sufficiently established general acceptance

50. Case Law • Schutz v. Schutz, 522 So. 2d 874 (Fla. 3rd Dist. Ct. App. 1988). • Blosser v. Blosser, 707 So. 2d 778; 1998 Fla. App. Case No. 96-03534. • Tucker v. Greenberg, 674 So. 2d 807 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). • Berg-Perlow v. Perlow, 15th Circuit Court, Palm Beach County, Fl.,Case no. CD98-1285-FC. Mar 15, 2000. • An exceptionally strong family court decision in which five experts testified to the diagnosis of PAS. • Loten v. Ryan, 15th Circuit Court, Palm Beach County, FL., Case No. CD 93-6567 FA. Dec 11,2000.  • Kilgore v. Boyd, 13th Circuit Court, Hillsborough County, FL., Case No. 94-7573, 733 So. 2d 546 (Fla. 2d DCA 2000) Jan 30, 2001. • Boyd v. Kilgore, 773 So. 2d 546 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000) (Prohibition Denied) • Court ruling that the Parental Alienation Syndrome has gained general acceptance in the scientific community and thereby satisfies Frye Test criteria for admissibility. • McDonald v. McDonald, 9th Judicial Circuit Court, Orange County, FL. Case No. D-R90-11079, Feb 20, 1001. • Blackshear v. Blackshear, Hillsborough County, FL 13th Jud. Circuit: 95-08436.