Last month Ash posted a really helpful website in the legal resources section about PA in law. I only saw it last night.
There's a part that cafcass uses to identify alienating behaviours in the alienating parent which is useful. Anyone noticing alienating behaviours in their case can use the below as a checklist and adapt the wording and use it in any statements they will use before a hearing.
There's a part that cafcass uses to identify alienating behaviours in the alienating parent which is useful. Anyone noticing alienating behaviours in their case can use the below as a checklist and adapt the wording and use it in any statements they will use before a hearing.
- Actively denigrates and exaggerates flaws of the other parent to the child, directly or indirectly e.g. may ask others to do this also.
- A resident parent with authority over all aspects of a child’s life but abdicates parental responsibility regarding the relationship with the other parent (e.g. ‘I won’t make them do something they don’t want to do.’)
- A resident parent who will not ‘force’ or ‘drag’ a child to contact and uses those or other negatively loaded terms.
- Coaches or instructs the child in what to say to professionals and others about negative experiences of the rejected parent.
- Where a resident parent applies to the court to reduce the amount of time the child spends with the other parent, particularly where there have been previous proceedings, and there appear to be no safety or welfare issues.
- Where a resident parent moves locality without agreement and a shared care arrangement or significant contact arrangement becomes unworkable.
- Refusal to hear positive comments about other parent; quick to discount child’s good times as trivial and unimportant.
- Overt and covert threats to withdraw love and affection from child unless other parent, and/or siblings that live with the other parent, are rejected.
- Expresses no concern or empathy that the child is missing out on a previously positive relationship with the other parent. Is disinterested in the impact this may have on their development and identity.
- Portrays the other parent as dangerous (and this is not justified). False or fabricated allegations of physical abuse, sexual, and/or emotional abuse or a single incident has disproportionate levels of fear or risk associated.
- Telephone messages, gifts, and communications from the other parent to child are persistently destroyed, ignored, or passed on to the child with disdain.
- False information repeated to child; distorts history and may make false allegations to professionals and in court proceedings.
- Does not correct child’s rude, defiant behaviour directed toward the other parent but would not permit child to do this with others.
- Is reluctant to allow professionals to make arrangements to see the child privately or tries to exert control over the enquiries the professional makes.
- Makes the child aware of their own distress and emotional fragility.
- Where a resident parent insists on being present (in person or on media) during contact time that has been assessed as safe or where it has been previously agreed was safe, without significant event to alter this view.
- Makes complaints against professionals for harming the children by promoting time with the other parent.