the parental alienation syndrome (PAS) should not be confused with

the parental alienation syndrome (PAS) should not be confused with


¼ the parental alienation syndrome (PAS) should not be confused with
the phenomenon of "parental alienation".
The phenomenon of parental alienation is present when a parent disparages the other parent in the eyes of her child. And the prevalence of this phenomenon in our society varies significantly depending on the threshold of sensitivity afforded to this relational dynamic.

At one end of the continuum, there is the type of parental alienation found in a large partner of families. For example, can say that the fact, for a mother temporarily frustrated, telling her child that his father is always late and that she can never count on him is akin to of parental alienation because it is a form of disparagement. But which parent is not left to go to this type of exagé­ration more or less subtly at one time or another? The other end of the continuum of sensitivity is the phenomenon of denigration erected completely false and unfair bases for the victim parent system.

If you exclude trivial forms of alienation often encountered in families where tensions arise, but not necessarily generate crisis, to do to reserve the designation "parental alienation" to situations where there is really an unjust indoctrination of children from one of its parental figures, the prevalence of parental alienation is much less and affects only a small minority of families.

It can be seen that the phenomenon of parental alienation embraces a continuum of relational dynamic. In this perspective, this concept must be distinguished from that of "parental alienation syndrome (PAS) proposed by Richard Gardner1, which refers to a mental disorder in the resulting child of an systéma­tique campaign of denigration of the part of a parent alienating without justified bases.
This controversy does not prevent the phenomenon of parental alienation to exist in some cases of major parental conflicts, particularly in cases of marital separation. The courts of justice know something, they must deal with this reality, and differentiate between the allegations in this area. This is what led some professional circulars to develop frameworks for the clinical evaluation of parental alienation, in compliance with the ethical and scientific rules (Cloutier, 2006) without even mentioning syndrome.

The following text is not involved in this controversy on the SAP. It summarizes rather, for information purposes, outline of the proposal of Gardner (1998) on parental alié­nation syndrome (SAP) and the criteria that the author associated with him.

Definition of SAP

According to Gardner, parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is present when a parent attempts to "programming" by all possible means, her child against the other parent, making him undergo a "brainwashing". The child then participates in a campaign of denigration by using the same words that the parent alienating and developing his own scenarios against the other parent. He thus came to a negative, net and disposed of its parent view. The packaging of the child is often subtle, hidden, automatic and unconscious way. The victim of unjustified disparagement parent is accuse of abuse on her child, what justifies its remoteness and, ultimately, the breakdown of the parent-child relationship. These three key players (alienating parent, child and parent insane) must be present to find an SAP. This syndrome usually appears in the legal proceedings surrounding separation, a divorce or a child care, when there are major marital conflict and that the child is prisoner of these conflicts.

[1] The proposal of Gardner (1998, 2001, 2002) was the subject of much controversy because its empirical foundations have often been questioned. Indeed, Gardner and his followers have maintained, without too much discrimination and for decades, their objective of integrating the SAP as a disorder that is accepted by the scientific community and professional clinical authorities such as the American Psychiatric Association or the American Psychological Association. Their aim was to ensure that SAP becomes a disorder of the type of those presented in the DSM. This was without success because even today, the scientific foundations of the SAP are considered always insufficient.
Exclusion criteria

It is important to properly differentiate between a case of SAP of a case of rejection "justified" the parent by a child. Indeed, there are situations where the child has good reason to hate its parent (abuse, violence, neglect). Also, it will not alienation speak elles when the manifestations of hostility and rejection of a child of a parent are temporary, that elles occur in certain situations only, that elles coexist with love and affection or that elles events are directed to both parents.

Motivations and events in the alienating parent

The alienating parent has often several reasons that drive to do so and to use her child. To include the following:

§ Conviction.

§ Revenge, hatred.

§ Rejection, jealousy.

§ Self-protection.

§ Solitude.

§ Emotional dependence on the child.

§ Need to protect a fragile self esteem.

§ Desire to start a new life in taking the other parent later.

§ Fear of losing the child or be abandoned by him.

§ Perception of the child as its property.

§ Desire that the link between him and her child be maintained, despite the separation.

§ Unable to compete with the other parent who has more ways.

It is also possible to identify three types of discourse around which revolve the alienating parent lines: the child has no need of the other parent; the other parent represents a danger to the child; the other parent is never concerned of the child. The manifestations of the alienating parent, can be many and varied, depending on the degree of alienation. Here is a list of the most common events in an alienating parent:
§ Denial of the need for children to see his other parent, and to maintain a healthy and stable contact with both parents.

§ Exclusion of the other parent of the recreation and education of the child.

§ Neutrality regarding the refusal of the child to visit his other parent.

§ Devaluation of the other parent before the child.

§ Refusal to consider therapy.

§ Rigidity regarding scheduling of visits and a lack of flexibility to find suitable arran­gements.

§ False allegations (violence, physical or sexual abuse, homosexuality, mental illness, alcohol or former spouse's drug problem).

The parent insane or rejected

If the alienated parent is often perceived as a victim of the SAP, the same as the child is considered that his reaction and the history of his relationship with her child are decisive in resistance in childhood to alienating its parent lines. Some behaviors of the alienated parent such passivity, the withdrawal of the conflict, the rejection of the child, parental style rigid and demanding, immaturity, egocentrism and the little empathy for the child, may lead to a deterioration of the situation and contribute to parental alienation. It can also happen that the parent, although he is disinterested her child after a separation, to tell victim of parental alienation to maintain control and to focus the blame by her estranged husband. It is therefore important to evaluate family and personal for each of the members of the family concluded a SAP.

Motives and manifestations in children

According to Gardner, SAP most vulnerable children are those aged between 8 and 15 years, because of their inability to take a critical distance from the situation.

Here are a few reasons which can induce a child to denigrate its other parent even if the latter did nothing to deserve this treatment.

§ Means to cope with the loss of a parent.

§ Self-protection.

Relational difficulties with the alienated parent.



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§ Ambivalence toward the alienating parent.

§ Fear of the alienating parent.

§ Desire to resolve conflicts between both parents.

§ Afraid to be separated from the parent that he loves most (often the alienating parent).

Gardner also estimates that observable events in children may vary according to his personality and its stage of development:

§ Non-fondés or disproportionate denigration against the rejected parent.

§ Lack of ambivalence about the rejected parent (it is completely wrong).

§ Claim that the decision to reject the parent is its own and is not influenced by the speech of the other parent.

§ Liked unconditional support of the parent in the conflict.

§ Lack of conviction about the rejected parent.

§ Use of expressions borrowed from the parent liked to talk about the rejected parent.

§ Extension of rejection to the extended family or in the middle of the rejected parent.

Consequences of SAP in children

The way in which the child will live the consequences of the SAP depends, among other things, the time that he spent in symbiosis with the alienating parent and confidence he has in him, his age and his entourage. If the syndrome is not treated, the alienated parent becomes a stranger for the child, which may result in the permanent destruction of the relationship. This exclusion of a parent in the life of the child then deprived him of one of the two parental models (paternal or maternal). The child has therefore a single model, the parent alienating, which presents dysfunctions, but the impact the most important SAP on the child is certainly the feeling of abandonment that this is live, result of the link cut between him and one of its parents.

In addition, the SAP, a form of psychological violence, may have a psychological impact on the development of the child and lead to mental health problems. There are various consequences for the child: depression disorders
identity, guilt, isolation, suicide, confusion, low view of itself, distrust of other adults, disorders of attention at school, conflicts with the authority, difficulties of relationship with peers, disorders of behavior. The alienated child may also reproduce the same behaviour as its parent and become him also disposing of a parent.

Documents consulted

Baribeau, l. (2003). "Parental alienation: the delicate role of counsel." The Journal of the law society, 35 (11), available online: http://www.barreau.qc.ca/journal/
frameset.asp? section =.
Journal/vol35/No11/alienation.html

Bellerose, j. - g. (1998). The impasse of the divorce to parental alienation, McGill University, Montreal.

Cloutier, r. (2006). "Parental alienation". Psychology Quebec, March.

Committee working on the alienation parental (2003). Parental alienation: when using the law to sustain the unsustainable. The Centres jeunesse de l'Outaouais.

Gagné, M. - H..? S. flag? R. Hénault (2005). "Parental alienation: a review of the knowledge and controversy". Canadian psychology, 46 (2), 73-87.

Gardner, R.A. (2002). "Parental Alienation Syndrome vs. Parental Alienation: Which Diagnosis Should Evaluators Use in Child-Custody Disputes? ». The American Journal of Family Therapy, 30, 93-115.

Gardner, R.A. (2001). Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS): Sixteen Years Later. Academy Forum. New York: The American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 45, 10-12.

Gardner, R.A. (2001). "Should short Order step Children to Visit/resides with the Alienated Parent?" A follow-up Study ". American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 19, 61-106.

Gardner, R.A. (1998). The Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Guide for Mental Health and Legal Professionals (2nd ed.). Cresskill, NJ: Creative Therapeutics, Inc..

Marquette, v. (1997). "About parental alienation syndrome". Prism, Sainte-Justine Hospital, 7 (1), 158-168.


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Podevyn, f. (2001) the parental alienation syndrome: SAP. Electronic version only. [On line]. URL address: http://www.mcp-ge.org/sap/sap.html

Reynaud, P. (2001). Parental separation and youth intervention: A distance is critical to protect. Beauport: Centre jeunesse de Québec - University Institute.

Saint-Jacques, M. - C.? D. Turcotte? S. flag? R. Cloutier (2004). Separation, monoparen­talité and family recomposition: balance sheet of a complex reality and avenues for action. Québec: Presses Université Laval.


Isabelle Fournier

Student social service