Guidelines for social workers: Detection of parental alienation during separation or divorce

Abstract

Certain families may experience high conflict due to separation or divorce. This leaves families vulnerable to parental alienation which could have a devastating effect on the family. Parental alienation could have a lifelong impact on the children involved and is damaging to their relationship with their parents and other future relationships due to the long-term impact of parental alienation. It is important to establish guidelines for the detection of parental alienation during separation or divorce. These guidelines would allow social workers to identify parental alienation to assist with the intervention thereof. The aim of this study was to, through a qualitative descriptive design, develop guidelines for social workers for the detection of parental alienation during separation or divorce. A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. Data collection consisted of semi structured interviews with 15 social workers, using an interview schedule. The interview schedule was developed with seven questions to explore the views of social workers on parental alienation and the detection thereof. These interviews with the social workers were voice recorded and transcribed. The data was analysed through content analysis, from which five themes emerged: (1) the social workers' perspectives on parental alienation, (2) the detection and identification of parental alienation, (3) the child involved in parental alienation, (4) perspectives on prevention during parental alienation, and (5) support and legislation. Based on the literature overview and the data collected, the researcher established guidelines to assist in the detection of parental alienation during separation or divorce. Lastly, a resource, based on the guidelines, was compiled to assist social workers with the detection of parental alienation.