According to The American Psychological Association, one in four children of divorced parents are the victims of parental alienation. Parental alienation is a process by which a child is “brainwashed” and psychologically manipulated by one parent against another to distance the child from the targeted parent and cause the child to have negative feelings towards that parent.
The State of New Jersey recognizes that for children to develop and thrive properly, the input and involvement of both parents is critical in the life of the child. Courts have begun to recognize Parental Alienation Syndrome and have allowed expert testimony on the subject. Because courts determine custody based on the best interests of the child, when one parent manipulates the child and otherwise works to sabotage that child’s relationship with his or her other parent, the court takes it very seriously.
If the court finds that there is evidence of parental alienation, it may decide to place the children in the custody of the rejected parent and order further intervention and sanctions upon the alienating parent.
Please visit us again for future topics on parental alienation, including how it affects the child, how it affects the alienated parent, and what a parent needs to do to prove they have been a victim of parental alienation.