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Jan 29th, 2008

Divorce and Parental Alienation Syndrome

According to recent studies, one out of every four children becomes the victim of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) during a divorce.

PAS is defined as the manipulation of children by the custodial parent and is becoming an increasingly common problem in the U.S.

PAS Details

PAS occurs when the custodial parents attempts to turn their child against the “target” parent, or other party, by provoking feelings of hatred and contempt.

Scientist Richard Gardner of Columbia University was the first to define PAS in the 1980’s and in his studies found that men are typically used as the target parent since mother’s usually have custody of the child.

“The so-called alienating parent is the one who has custody and uses it to brainwash the child, turning him or her against the alienated parent,” explains Rosario Cortes Arboleda, author of the book, Marital Conflicts, Divorce and Children’s Development.

Factors that Influence PAS

Researchers from the University of Granada discovered that there are several factors that attribute to this sort of attitude from the custodial parent, such as:

  • The child’s physiological vulnerability
  • The personality and behavior of both parents
  • Dynamics among the siblings
  • Any existing conflicts between the divorcing parents

Research shows that PAS is more common with children between the ages of nine and twelve than with teenagers.

(Source: Science Daily)

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