Examples Of Parental Alienation Behaviors During Divorce
In the context of family law, parental alienation is the practice of manipulating a child so that they hate or fear a parent. For example, if you are going through a divorce, the other parent may engage in parental alienation so that the child chooses them over you. The other parent can do this in several ways; for example, by:
Verbally Criticizing You
A classic parental alienation technique is for the other parent to talk ill of you in the presence of the other child. They may say how you don't like to give the children the presents they want, how you aren't contributing adequate child support or how you don't care for them anymore. That way the child grows with a negative perception of you while thinking that the parent who is criticizing you is the "good" one. Don't forget that young children may not have the capacity to look at the criticism objectively or to authenticate them.
Blocking Your Access to the Child
Some people also alienate their kids from their parents by locking all forms of access including physical and virtual access. For example, they may lie to you that the children are away when you call and lie to the children that you haven't call them. In the end, the child grows up knowing that you don't want to spend time with them, making them prefer the other parent over you.
Using the Child to Spy on You
The parent may also execute an indirect alienation tactic by making the child spy on you. For example, if you have shared custody, they may instruct the child to note the visitors you receive and report back to them. They may even instruct the child to go through your phone or computer during visitation and report back certain information. In this case, the child grows knowing that you have something bad to hide and that is why you are being spied on.
Making Unilateral Decisions about the Child
The last example is when the other parent makes major decisions concerning the child's life without involving you. For example, they may enroll the child in a different school, take vacations or enroll the child in after-school activities without considering your put. They will then ensure the child knows that you aren't contributing anything to their life. The less you are involved in the child's life the more they will be alienated from you.
Don't keep mum if you suspect the other parent is engaging in parental alienation practices. If you can prove parental alienation, you may be able to use it to strengthen your custody claim. This is possible because parental alienation is a form of child abuse and courts are aware of the fact that it is in the best interest of children to associate with both parents.
Contact a professional like Gomez May LLP for more help.
