Parental Alienation Syndrome

Abstract

Children who have been programmed by one parent to be alienated from the other parent are commonly seen in the context of child-custody disputes. Its primary manifestation is the child's campaign of denigration against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It is said to result from a combination of a programming (brainwashing) parent's indoctrinations and the child's own contributions to the vilification of the targeted parent. Many evaluators use the term parental alienation syndrome to refer to the disorder engendered in such children. However, there is significant controversy going on about the validity of parental alienation syndrome. The purpose of this article has been to describe and help to differentiate parental alienation syndrome and abuse for mental health professionals working in the field, and discuss the argu-ments about the validity of this syndrome.

Keywords

• alienation, parental, abuse, children

Ebeveyn Yabancılaştırma Sendromu

Öz

Çocuğun bir ebeveyn tarafından diğer ebeveyne karşı bilinçli ve programlı bir şekilde yabacılaştırılması çocukların velayetleri konusundaki çatışmalarda sıkça görülen bir durumdur. Yabancılaştırmanın en önemli belirtisi çocuğun diğer ebeveyne karşı haksız bir şekilde iftira kampanyasına maruz bırakılmasıdır. Bir ebeveynin yönlendirmesi ve çocuğun iftira kampanyasına katılımı ile hedefteki ebeveyne karşı bir beyin yıkama süreci gerçekleşmektedir. Birçok araştırmacı çocuklardaki bu yabancılaşmaya ebeveyn yabancılaştırma sendromu kavramını kullanmaktadır. Buna karşın bu kavramın geçerliği üzerindeki tartışmalar halen devam etmektedir. Bu makalede sağlık alanında çalışanlara ebeveyn yabancılaştırma sendromunu tanıtmak, belirtilerini ve ayırıcı tanısını ortaya koymak, geçerliği üzerindeki tartışmaların aktarılması amaçlanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• yabancılaştırma, ebeveyn, istismar, çocuk

References

1. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. Evlenme ve Boşanma İstatistikleri 2009. Ankara, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu, 2010.
2. Öngider N. Anksiyete düzeyleri açısından boşanmış ve evli anneler ile çocuklarının incelenmesi. Nöropsikiyatri Arşivi 2011; 48:66-70.
3. Torun F. Bir olgu üzerinden ebeveyn yabancılaştırma sendromu. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi 2011; 12:167-168.
4. Gardner RA. Differentiating between parental alienation syndrome and bona fide abuse neglect. Am J Fam Ther 1999; 27:97-107.
5. Wallerstein JS, Blakeslee S. Second Chances: Men, Women and Children a Decade after Divorce. New York, Ticknor and Fields, 1989.
6. Reich W. Character Analysis, 3rd ed. New York, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1949.
7. Clawar SS, Rivlin BV. Children Held Hostage: Dealing with Programmed and Brainwashed Children. Chicago, American Bar Association, 1991.
8. Gardner RA. The Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Guide for Mental Health and Legal Professionals. Cresskill, NJ, Creative Therapeutics, 1998.

9. Sauber SR. PAS as a family tragedy: roles of family members, proffessionals, and the justice system. In The International Handbook of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Conceptual, Clinical and Legal Considerations (Eds RA Gardner, SR Sauber, D Lorandos):12-33. Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas, 2006.
10. Wallerstein J, Kelly JB. The effects of parental divorce: Experiences of the child in later latency. Am J Orthopsychiatry 1976; 46:256-269.
11. Wallerstein JS, Kelly JB. Surviving the Breakup: How Children and Parents Cope with Divorce. New York, Basic Books, 1980.
12. Baker JL. The long-term effects of parental alienation on adult children: A qualitative study. Am J Fam Ther 2005; 33:289-302.
13. Gardner RA. Parental alienation syndrome vs. parental alienation: Which diagnosis should evaluators use in child-custody disputes? Am J Fam Ther 2002; 30:93-115.
14. Johnston JR. Parental alignments and rejection: An empirical study of alienation in children of divorce. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 2003; 31:158-170.
15. Johnston JR, Walters MG, Olesen NW. Is it alienating parenting, role reversal or child abuse? An empirical study of children’s rejection of a parent in child custody disputes. Journal of Emotional Abuse 2005; 5:191-218.
16. Bow JN, Gold JW, Flens JR. Examining parental alienation in child custody cases. A survey of mental health and legal professionals. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 2009; 37:127-145.
17. Gardner RA. Recent trends in divorce and custody litigation. Academy Forum 1985; 29(2):3-7.
18. Cantwell B. Parental alienation: how to understand and address parental alienation resulting from acrimonious divorce or separation. Journal of Social Work 2009; 3:365-366.
19. Gardner RA. The three levels of parental alienation syndrome: Differential diagnosis and management. Am J Forensic Psychiatry 2004; 25:41-76.
20. Farkas MM. An introduction to parental alienation syndrome. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2011; 49:20-26.
21. Baker JL. Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Breaking the Ties that Bind. New York, Norton, 2007.
22. Warshak RA. Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-Mouthing and Brainwashing. New York, Harper, 2010.
23. Bone JM, Walsh MR. Parental alienation syndrome: How to detect it and what to do about it. The Florida Bar Journal 1999; 73:44-48.
24. Andre K. Parent alienation syndrome. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 2004; 7:7-11.
25. Gardner RA. Future predictions on the fate of PAS children: What hath alienators wrought? In The International Handbook of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Conceptual, Clinical and Legal Considerations (Eds RA Gardner, SR Sauber, D Lorandos):179-194. Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas, 2006.
26. Gardner RA. Denial of the Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) also harms women. Am J Fam Ther 2002; 30:191-202.
27. Kelly JB. Johnston JR. The alienated child. A reformulation of parental alienation syndrome. Fam Court Rev 2001: 39:249-266.
28. Rand DC. The spectrum of parental alienation syndrome (part I). Am J Forensic Psychol 1997; 15(3):23-51.
29. Johnston J, Gans WM, Friedlander S. Alienated children and divorce: Therapeutic work with alienated children and their families. Fam Court Rev 2001; 39:316-333.
30. Zirogiannis L. Evidentiary issues with parental alienation syndrome. Fam Court Rev 2001; 39:334-343.
31. Faller KC. The parental alienation syndrome: What is it and what data to support it? Child Maltreat 1998; 3:100-115.
32. Williams RJ. Alienated children and divorce: Should judges close the gate on PAS and PA? Fam Court Rev 2001; 39:267-281.
33. Sullivan MJ, Kelly JB. Legal and psychological management of cases with an alienated child. Fam Court Rev 2001; 39:299-315.
34. Roseby V, Johnston JR. Children of Armageddon: Common developmental threats in high-conflict divorcing families. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 1998; 7:295- 309.
35. Johnston JR, Kelly JB. Rejoinder to Gardner’s “Commentary on Kelly and Johnston’s the alienated child: a reformulation of parental alienatıon syndrome”. Fam Court Rev 2004; 42:622-628
36. Warshak RA. Current controversies regarding parental alienation syndrome. Am J Forensic Psychol 2001; 19:29-59.
37. Kelly JB. Children’s adjustment in conflicted marriage and divorce: a decade review of research. J Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2000; 39:963-973.
38. Warshak RA, Santrock JW. The impact of divorce in father-custody and mother- custody homes: The child’s perspective. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 1983; 19:29-46.
39. Rosen R. Some crucial issues concerning children of divorce. J Divorce 1979; 3:19- 25.
40. Lewis JM, Beavers WR, Gosett JT, Phillips VA. No Single Thread. Psychological Health in Family System. New York, Bruner/Mazel, 1976.
41. Gardner RA. Recommendations for dealing with parents who induce a parental alienation syndrome in their children. J Divorce Remarriage 1998; 28:1-23.
42. Gardner RA. The Parental Alienation Syndrome and the Differentiation Between Fabricated and Genuine Child Sex Abuse. Cresskill, NJ, Creative Therapeutics, 1987.
43. Gardner RA. Does DSM-IV have equivalants for the Parental Alienation Syndrome diagnosis. Am J Fam Ther 2003; 31:1-21.
44. Johnston JR, Campbell LE. Impasses of Divorce: The Dynamics and Resolution of Family Conflict. New York, Free Press, 1988.
45. Johnston JR, Roseby V. In the Name of the Child. A Developmental Approach to Understand and Helping Children of Conflicted and Violent Divorce. New York, Free Press, 1997.
46. Rueda CA. An ınter-rater reliability study of parental alienation syndrome. Am J Fam Ther 2004; 32:391-403.
47. Johnston JR. Children of divorce who refuse visitation. In Non-residential Parenting; New Vistas in Family Living (Eds. C Depner, JH Bray):109-135. Newbury, Sage Focus, 1993.
48. Kopetski LM. Identifying cases of parental alienation syndrome-Part I. Colo Lawyer 1998; 27(2):65-68.
49. Kopetski LM. Identifying cases of parental alienation syndrome-Part II. Colo Lawyer 1998; 27(3):61-64.
50. Gardner RA. Commentary on Kelly and Johnston’s ”The alienated child: A reformulation of parental alienation syndrome”. Fam Court Rev 2004; 42:, 611-621.
51. Doğanavşargil Ö, Eryılmaz M, Cinemre B, Metin Ö. Türkiye’de paylaşılmış psikotik bozukluk (Folie à Deux). Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar 2009; 1:215-228.
52. Duvar H, Şengül C, Herken H. Aripiprazole in delusional disorder. European Journal of General Medicine 2010; 7:433-435.