Are your assumptions correct about Parental Alienation Syndrome?

I keep seeing comments about Parnetal Alienation syndrome made and just to clarify the syndrome itself is unsubstantiated and harmful so I wish folks would stop referring to it.


"PAS, the brainchild of psychiatrist Richard Gardner, is not a valid medical syndrome recognized by the American Medical Association or the American Psychiatric Association. According to John E. B. Myers in his article, "What Is Parental Alienation Syndrome And Why Is It So Often Used Against Mothers?", Dr. Gardner's Parental Alienation Syndrome has not, to my knowledge, been subjected to empirical study, research, or testing. Nor to my knowledge has the syndrome been published in peer reviewed medical or scientific journals. Rather, the syndrome is simply Richard Gardner's opinion, based on his clinical experience."





The American Prosecutors Research Institute in Virginia has also indicated that Gardner's research, including PAS, has not been peer-reviewed or officially recognized by the AMA and the APA."

Are your assumptions correct about Parental Alienation Syndrome?
I assume by your assumed assumptions that you do not assume what you think I may assume. My assumptions are my own and I assume you shouldn't assume what others may or may not deem assumptive. Besides, you know what they say about assuming! It makes an @ss out of you!
Reply:ok hold it - Parental Alienation happens - regardless if it is subjected to studies or what not...





every day in court there are parents fighting with other parents and bringing contempt charges because they keep the child at home during a visitation - or flee the state, shut off phones, deny access to addresses...etc...it is focused mainly on mothers because, in the last 50+ years, mothers have the majority of custody.





It was being researched as a "syndrome" by Dr. Gardner in an attempt to understand WHY a parent would go to such lengths - trying to give it some sort of psycholgical association not unlike Munchausens or post-partum depression.





Dr. Gardner was attempting to find a reason for it - in an effort to try to help keep it from happening, for the sake of children.





I applaud his efforts - and find it sad that anyone would discredit the man's work. He was doing it for the sake of children, the fact it was skewed to be a negative towards mothers in family court is the fault of divorce...it wasn't the original intention.





I have to say that I'm glad it hasn't been "peer reviewed" or officially recognized, because my fear is that if it was, it would turn into an excuse a parent could use - some mental condition they suffer from that causes them to alienate the children from the other parent...and the actions they take would not be addressed, but the focus would turn on "curing" them of the mental illness.





Any parent that keeps a child from another parent for no other reason other than to just be nasty and use the child as a pawn deserves zero respect.
Reply:The fact that the APA hasn't officially recognized it as an "official diagnosis" - doesn't mean it doesn't exist.





Further, unless you've lived it (or are trying to ease a guilty conscience by pretending it can't be done) - you have no idea how easy it is to manipulate young children against another parent.





Reality is, children don't suddenly just "hate" another parent that they loved during the course of the intact family.





Take it from one who has to fight the efforts of a sick, twisted, psycho ex-wife almost every single day. Therefore, I don't have "assumptions" - I have experience.
Reply:It may not be proven but I can testify that parents do in fact manipulate their children against the other parent in an attempt to have "control" over the child, my mum has lost control and has gone completely nuts, I have read what you've said and I have a question which the majority of answerers have said is parental alienation, I figure it's not if you could answer my question that would be good.





http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...
Reply:I agree with your contention that all of the "establishment" has not agreed that this is fact is syndrome. However you must agree that in fact there is certainly a pattern of behavior that alienates one parent from another, that in turn is extremely detrimental to a child.





Give it about 5 years and it will be normal protocal to diagnose this behavior by either parent as a syndrome.

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