Parental alienation in divorce cases : a rapid review

Abstract

As a family counsellor employed at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the researcher is responsible for investigations into the welfare and best interest of children in care and contact disputes. In high conflict divorce matters parental alienation is a phenomenon that emerges amidst the conflict. Parental alienation occurs when one parent undermines or prejudices the contact and relationship between the child and the other parent, without justified reasons. The aim of the research was to explore evidence available regarding how parental alienation is experienced by different family members as well as the effect the experience of parental alienation has on families. The rapid review method was used to identify 12 articles on parental alienation with a fair to good methodological quality. Data from these articles were extracted, synthetized and 11 themes were identified according to how parental alienation is experienced by families and the effect parental alienation has on families. The themes are Theme 1: The child develops a contaminated view of the parent and of himself Theme 2: Autonomy – intrinsic motivation Theme 3: False allegations against the alienated parent Theme 4: The impact of high conflict divorces Theme 5: Loyalty conflicts Theme 6: Problems with attachment Theme 7: Long term effect of parental alienation Theme 8: Internal and external problems associated with parental alienation Theme 9: Parental alienation is a form of psychological maltreatment Theme 10: Therapy and treatment of alienated children and parents Theme 11: Reinforcement of alienation through courts and prosecuting authorities It is clear from the study that parental alienation is a phenomenon that escalates in divorce cases. Social workers and legal professionals need to understand the impact on the best interest of children as knowledge may ensure adequate recommendations and decisions for families affected by parental alienation