Identifying Behaviors Associated With Parental Alienation Syndrome
Parental alienation syndrome, also known as PAS, is a term that was introduced in 1985 by Richard A Gardener.
PAS is a case in which the child refuses to have relationship with one parent because the other parent says something negative about the parent in question.
This syndrome occurs in children whose parents are divorced.
In the true parental alienation syndrome, it has been seen that often the child had a good relationship with the parent prior to the parents getting divorced.
Sometimes, a parent deliberately stays away from the child to protect him or her from any bitterness or hurt due to the divorce.
In such cases, a child can get estranged from the parent.
However, this is not a case of parental alienation syndrome.
Even the estrangement caused on account of emotional abuse, sexual abuse or physical abuse is not considered to be PAS.
Here the rejection by the child takes place because of the abuse.
A child is said to be suffering from PAS if he or she takes deliberate steps to avoid a parent, if the child insults the parent on his or her face, if the child is unable to differentiate between the truth and lie about the parent, if the child shows dislike for a parent without a valid reason or if the child shows that he or she does not want to have any contact with the parent.
There are many degrees of PAS.
This syndrome can be from mild alienation to moderate alienation to severe alienation.
Each degree of alienation is caused by a parent who either consciously or unconsciously ends up causing PAS in the child.
For instance, the mild alienation is caused when one parent avoids a yelling match with the other, but then ends up taking out the temper on the child.
The child then starts thinking the other parent is the cause and starts avoiding the parent as he or she does not want to be at the receiving end of the custodial parent's anger.
PAS is a case in which the child refuses to have relationship with one parent because the other parent says something negative about the parent in question.
This syndrome occurs in children whose parents are divorced.
In the true parental alienation syndrome, it has been seen that often the child had a good relationship with the parent prior to the parents getting divorced.
Sometimes, a parent deliberately stays away from the child to protect him or her from any bitterness or hurt due to the divorce.
In such cases, a child can get estranged from the parent.
However, this is not a case of parental alienation syndrome.
Even the estrangement caused on account of emotional abuse, sexual abuse or physical abuse is not considered to be PAS.
Here the rejection by the child takes place because of the abuse.
A child is said to be suffering from PAS if he or she takes deliberate steps to avoid a parent, if the child insults the parent on his or her face, if the child is unable to differentiate between the truth and lie about the parent, if the child shows dislike for a parent without a valid reason or if the child shows that he or she does not want to have any contact with the parent.
There are many degrees of PAS.
This syndrome can be from mild alienation to moderate alienation to severe alienation.
Each degree of alienation is caused by a parent who either consciously or unconsciously ends up causing PAS in the child.
For instance, the mild alienation is caused when one parent avoids a yelling match with the other, but then ends up taking out the temper on the child.
The child then starts thinking the other parent is the cause and starts avoiding the parent as he or she does not want to be at the receiving end of the custodial parent's anger.
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