F.A.C.T. Information: Parental Alienation

F.A.C.T. Information: Parental Alienation More great information is available through F.A.C.T. See our home page at www.fact.on.ca Some of the Literature on Parental Alienation Rather than just reading the PAS material here, there is now an opportunity to provide YOUR input into the adoption of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) into the DSM-V. To read more about this, including a message from Dr. Gardner, please click here. We encourage all of you to write, and encourage others to write, to include PAS in DSM-V. In this section, we have used to power of hypertext to link the footnote numbers to the footnotes and, where we have the material, to the actual referenced material. It is hoped that this will allow you to follow through the material and get all the information that you are seeking. Please note, references are sometimes made to other files on this system, and sometimes to files on other systems, so you may see other files reloading. We have also made PDF files for printing if you would like hard copy. The PDF "Portable Document Format" is used by Adobe Acrobat and the program that will let you view and print these files is free and has versions for almost any type of workstation operating system in use. The free program that will allow you to view and print these files, on-line or off, is available from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. We also have included on a separate page a not-too-complete list of PAS and PAS related sites that we have found on the net. There are many more sites with information. Let us know of any more good ones and we will add them. We also beginning a section on legal cases in Canada and around the world that deals with PAS in the courts. This section is just starting, and is far from exhaustive. You can see them on our PAS legal page. Let us know what you think of our files, or about any problems, by emailing us at webmaster@fact.on.ca. Finally, because it is not a journal article, the article on Hostile Aggressive Parenting is located further down the list. You can get to it quickly by clicking here. Much of the material posted here was the result of the considerable knowledge, persistence and hard work of Tom in Los Angeles, USA. Thanks Tom! Parents Who Have Successfully Fought Parent Alienation Syndrome by A. Jayne Major, Ph.D. from her website www.livingmedia2000.com. This article is a FABULOUS summary of PAS that is very readable and complete. It is, seemingly, only published on her website that is providing information about her parenting course to potential instructors but, because it was so good I have reformatted it and added it to our collection. (It was so good I was ready to sign up for the course!) This document is also available in PDF format. What you do and don’t do when as a loving parent you are confronted with a severe case of PAS in your child by William Kirkendale. Mr. Kirkendale is a father with a child he has not seen for a considerable length of time, and he has put together a list of some of his DO'S and DONTS that many of us have learned too late. Some of his suggestions, especially about approaching the court or accessing the media, are not particularly appropriate in Canada but the underlying fire is right on target. This material has been reformatted from a web page on www.mall4us.com/parentnPAS.htm. Mr. Kirkendale maintans a web site at www.familycourts.com. This document is also available in PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Review of Critical Issues by Ian Turkat is available in PDF format from the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Vol. 18-1, 2002, pp.131-176. (which is available on-line). Response to Kelly/Johnson Artilce by Richard A. Gardner from Speak Out for Children (a publication of the Children's Rights Council), 17(2):6-10, 2002. This is Gardner's response to the ``Northern California'' group of psychologists to preempt and redefine Parental Alienation (without the Syndrome). This group includes those PhDs who worked with Judith Wallerstein on her work. This is a real threat to the children who have been damaged by the PAS -- the purpose is really to ensure that the abuse of the children can continue pursuant to the ``feminist'' (and not parental) dogma. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Does DSM-IV Have Equivalents for the Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) Diagnosis? by Richard A. Gardner (Unpublished Manuscript) Accepted for Publication 2002. This is a very interesting article that outlines the similar, but not the same, disorders actually included in DSM-IV at this point. The article is quite good in explaining the reasons why PAS is indeed a syndrome, and how it is different from other conditions. As a bonus, some of the similar or contributing conditions that impact children, alientators and target parents are outlined -- this is quite important to target parents, and lawyers, involved with an alienating parent. This document is not yet available in PDF format. The Role of the Judiciary in the Entrenchment of the Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) by Richard A. Gardner, 2002. This is a great article that points out the faults and contributions of the judiciary in ensuring that alienating parents abuse their children -- all in the mistaken ``best interests'' of someone. This article and the tables referred to within it can be downloaded from Dr. Gardner's website at http://www.rgardner.com/refs/ar11w.html and http://www.rgardner.com/refs/3pastables.html. This document is not yet available in PDF format. The Empowerment of Children in the Development of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Richard A. Gardner from The American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2002, 20(2):5-29. This article deals with the empowerment of children suffering PAS by the alienator, therapists, lawyers and the judiciary as a major component of the syndrome. Without addressing the intrinsic contribution of all these adults, supposedly working in the ``best interests of the child'' can we hope to stop the destruction of these children. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome vs. Parental Alienation: Which Diagnosis Should Evaluators Use in Child-Custody Disputes? by Richard A. Gardner from The American Journal of Family Therapy, 30(2):93-115, (2002). Gardner clears the air about the debate between the watered-down, wide ranging ``Parental Alienation'' and the collection of symptoms that identify and define the ``Parental Alienation Syndrome''. For those who think that PA has much at all to do with PAS, this is a `must read'. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Denial of the Parental Alienation Syndrome Also Harms Women by Richard A. Gardner from American Journal of Family Therapy, 30(3):191-202 (2002). The article discusses impact on children and families by the denial of the condition of PAS. Denial is found by the patient in many medical conditions, but when the practionners deny the disease, there is no hope for the victims. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Comments on Carol S. Bruch’s Article "Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Getting it Wrong in Child Custody Cases" by Richard A. Gardner from Family Law Quarterly, 35(3):527-552, 2001. Gardner addresses an article by a "law researcher" in the Family Law Quarterly that really simply rehashes the same tired old "feminist" myths that are trotted out to ensure that the children are not protected from alienation. Bruch's paper is available here in PDF format only. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Current Controversies Regarding Parental Alienation Syndrome by Richard A. Warshak from American Journal of Forensic Psychology, Volume 19, No. 3, 2001, p. 29-59. An excellent article about PAS, the current attempt to redefine it to talk only of the "alienated child" and not the abuse, and about some of the strange reasons made up by others about PAS. This is a great companion to Dr. Warshak's booklet "Parental Alienation Syndrome in Court" (see the Book Section of the FACT site, or Dr. Warshak's site directly). This is an important paper to read. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Should Courts Order PAS Children to Visit/Reside with the Alienated Parent? by Richard A. Gardner from The American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2001, 19(3):61-106. This article is an outline of the futility of not changing access or custody away from an alienating parent. In 100% of the cases that a change in access or custody did occur, the PAS either diminished or disappeared. In 91% of the cases where a change did not occur, the situation did not improve or degenerated even further. "PAS therapy" does not work alone to protect the children, despite the judges wishing it did. Make sure you give this one to your lawyer. This document is also available in PDF format. Family Therapy of the Moderate Type of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Richard A. Gardner from The American Journal of Family Therapy. 27:195-212, 1999. This article is a GREAT outline of therapy for the moderate case of PAS that deals with the very specific and knitty-gritty things that the courts and the therapists must do if the therapy is to work. This document is also available in PDF format. Questioning the Mental Health Expert's Custody Report by Ira Daniel Turkat, Ph.D. from the American Journal of Family Law, Volume 7, 175-179 (1993). This article is not specifically about PAS. However, it is an EXCELLENT article to look at when you are selecting an assessor or an expert in a legal case. I wish selecting an expert was easy - this article does give you some suggestions that are extremely relevant. This document is also available in PDF format. Dr. Richard A. Gardner, M.D., who initially derived the name Parental Alienation Syndrome put out a flyer (also in PDF format to advertise his book The Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and Legal Professionals (available through his website at http://www.rgardner.com/). The flyer had a number of very interesting and useful attachments that contain some basic information on PAS. The attachments are: DEFINITION OF THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME (also in PDF format). THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME IS NOT THE SAME AS PROGRAMMING ("BRAINWASHING") (also in PDF format). THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME AND BONA FIDE ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT (also in PDF format). THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME AS A FORM OF CHILD ABUSE (also in PDF format). "THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME DOES NOT EXIST BECAUSE IT IS NOT IN DSM-IV" (also in PDF format). "THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME IS NOT A SYNDROME" (also in PDF format). "PEOPLE WHO DIAGNOSE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME ARE SEXIST" (also in PDF format). THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME AND SEX-ABUSE ACCUSATIONS (also in PDF format). THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME AND "PARENTAL ALIENATION" (also in PDF format). DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE THREE TYPES OF PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME (also in PDF format). DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF THE THREE TYPES OF PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME (also in PDF format). In addition, he has put out another couple of small pieces of information: Addendum I—June 1999 which is meant to be some more up-to-date information on PAS than contained in the 2nd edition, Addendum—March 2000 which is meant to be some more up-to-date information on PAS than contained in the 2nd edition, and an updated Addendum—March 2000 which is meant to be some more up-to-date information on PAS than contained in the 2nd edition and mentions the Rachael Foundation, and Misperceptions versus Facts About Richard A. Gardner, M.D. which is another defensive piece as the result of the false accusations against Dr. Gardner made because they don't like his theory (ironic, isn't it?). Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS): Sixteen Years Later by Richard A. Gardner from Academy Forum, 2001, 45(1):10-12. This provides a summary of the issues related to PAS as they have evolved over the last 16 years. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Excerpt from Dr. Rybicki's forthcoming book on Expert Witness Testimony & Forensic Psychology by Daniel J. Rybicki. This looks like it will be a great book. The material covers a lot of material including alienation techniques, susceptable children, the negatives of the diagnosis according to the detractors, and what evaluators should be careful with. A good read. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Remarriage as a Trigger of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Richard A, Warshak from The American Journal of Family Therapy, 28:229-241, 2000. While this document attempts to deal with some of the specifics of parental alienation relative to remarriage of divorced or separated parties, there is a wealth of information about PAS in general as well, including some discussion of therapies to deal with PAS. This document is available in PDF format. "Parental Alienation" by Joel R. Brandes from the New York Law Journal, March 26, 2000 provides an interesting look at Parental Alination in New York, where it is supposed to be recognised. This document is not yet available in PDF format. This article was available through the author's website at http://www.brandeslaw.com/parental_alienation.htm, but appears to have been moved. Articles in Peer-Review Journals on the Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) by Richard A. Gardner, M.D. is a description of the nature of PAS (mostly the material in the list above) and a compilation of citations by the researcher who introduced the term. This is available through a link to his company, Creative Therapeutics at http://www.rgardner.com/. This particular paper as also been captured into a PDF format (January 6, 2001 version). On the site, Dr. Gardner also has a list of legal citations indicating times that testimony on PAS has been admitted in the courts of various jurisdictions. The site is set up to allow you to order books, including his The Parental Alienation Syndrome (2nd edition) directly. Rye Hospital Program For Treating Children Affected by Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), as published on the website "divorcedfather.com", written by Edward M. Stephens, M.D., provides some information on the diagnosis and treatment of Parental Alienation Syndrome. This article was initially available at http://www.divorcedfather.com/fathers-rights-child-custody/pas-rye.htm, but appears to have been move. The pagehad also been captured, and is available, in PDF format. Mediation and Parental Alienation Syndrome: Considerations for an Intervention Model by Anita Vestal from the Family and Conciliation Courts Review, Vol. 37, No. 4, October, 1999, p. 487-503. Excellent, and long, paper on parental alienation and mediation. Parents, lawyers and judges should read this. This article is an updated and peer-reviewed version of the article "Perspectives on Parental Alienation, Child Custody and Dispute Resolution Systems," which won the essay award from the American Bar Association (see below). This document is also available in PDF format. Guidelines for Assessing Parental Preference in Child-Custody Disputes by Richard A. Gardner, MD from the Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 1999, 30(1/2):1-9. This goes through the Michigan child-custody guidelines with Gardner's opinion and PAS comments throughout. This document is aldo available in PDF format. Parental Alienation and the Judiciary by Dr L. F. Lowenstein from the Medico-Legal JournalVol.67 Part 3, 1999, p. 121-123. This is a short piece on the problems of the judiciary in solving PAS, their reluctance to that the necessary action, and the results of their lack of judicial action. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Parental Alienation: Not in the best interest of the children by Douglas Darnall from the North Dakota Law Review, Volume 75, 1999, p 323-364. Excellent and long essay on parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome and the places that lawyers and judges need to fit into the process to help the children. Darnall's book, DIVORCE CASUALTIES: PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN FROM PARENTAL ALIENATION, that is mentioned in the article can be purchased through the FACT book section. This document is also available in PDF format. Differentiating between Parental Alienation Syndrome and Bona Fide Abuse-Neglect by Richard A. Gardner from The American Journal of Family Therapy, Volume 27, Number 2, p 97-107 (April-June 1999). Talk about a HOT new article! The article looks at the differences in children, but most specifically adults, under a PAS situation with false allegations of abuse or neglect, and the same where there is true abuse-neglect. Truly makes one wonder seriously about the inducers of PAS. This document is also available in PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome: How to Detect It and What to Do About It by J. Michael Bone and Michael R. Walsh as published in The Florida Bar Journal, Volume 73, Number 3, March 1999, p. 44-48. This new article is meant for lawyers. It provides a higher level look at PAS, provides the indications that a lawyer or judge can use to tell if PAS is present, and deals with the absolute need of the courts to operate swiftly if PAS is detected. A quote from the article: "Any attempt at alienating children from the other parent should be seen as a direct and willful violation of one of the prime duties of parenthood". This document is also available in PDF format. Alienation And Alignment Of Children by Philip M. Stahl from the California Psychologist, March 1999, Vol. 32, No. 3, p 23ff. An outline of PAS, the his idea of the characteristics of the parents and children, and, to some degree, how treatment methods. The article includes a summary of the milder suggestions for treatment of severe PAS -- including allowing the abuse to continue (the court's general answer). This document is also available in PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) by L. F. Lowenstein as published in Justice of the Peace, Vol. 163 No. 3, 16 January 1999, p 47-50. This article is meant as a summary for justices in the UK. It concludes reminding judges that: "Any parent who practises PAS must ultimately be dealt with severely by the court. PAS is a kind of brainwashing which leads to suffering for all concerned, either in the short or long-term. Both parents must be viewed as having the right and the obligation to play a vital role on the care, guidance and love provided for their children." This document is also available in PDF format. Parental alienation syndrome: The lost parents’ perspective by Despina Vassiliou. This is her Masters thesis presented at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The thesis is a qualitative study of the alienated parent's perceptions of their experienes with PAS. This document is not yet available PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Two Step Approach towards a Solution by L. F. Lowenstein as published in Contemporary Family Therapy, Volume 20, Number 4, December, 1998, p. 505-520. This article is from the UK and talks about the advantages to all parties in mediating to prevent PAS, rather than moving straight into the adversarial system. This document is also available in PDF format. The Burgess Decision and the Wallerstein Brief by Richard A. Gardner from Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 26(3):425-431, 1998. This article addresses the problems of unrestricted mobility in cases where a parent is inducing PAS -- and the damage done to the children and non-custodial parent. This document is not yet available in PDF format. MMPI-2 Validty Scales and Suspected Parental Alienation Syndrome as published by Jeffrey C. Siegel and Joseph S. Langford in the American Journal of Forensic Psychology, Volume 16, Number 4, 1998, p. 5-14. An interesting article that looks at tying those who use parental alienation to the responses on the MMPI-2 test (a test often given my assessors to the parents). The material here is of most interest to professionals who administer and read such tests, but it does represent an early stop in identifying problem areas. This article is also available in PDF format. Alienation Revisted as presented by Mr. Paul Lodge, FCOA, at the Third National Family Court Conference October 20-24 in Melbourse, Australia. This article is conference notes that were initially taken in PDF formation from the conference site. The conference material has moved several times so that a good link is not available. This is conference material, so make some allowances for missing points and references that are not used, please. The original PDF document is available here. Intervention-guided single case-help and parental alienation syndrome (PAS) as presented by Dr. Werner G. Leitner at the XXI International School Psychology Colloquium held from 31 July - 4 August 1998 in Riga, Latvia, and published in Published in Identity & Self Esteem: Interactions of Students, Family, & Society, eds. S. Sebre, M. Rascevska, S. Miezite, pp. 253-260, Riga: SIA. This article was initially taken from Dr. Leitner's site at http://www.uni-bamberg.de/~ba2gp4/frame.htm, but it appears to have moved. This document is not yet available in PDF format. Recommendations for Dealing with Parents Who Induce a Parental Alienation Syndrome in Their Children as published by Dr. Richard A. Gardner in the Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, Volume 28(3/4), 1998, p. 1-21. This well laid-out article gives Gardners's suggested course of treatment for dealing with the various levels of PAS and in handling the inducing parent. This article is also available in PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome - A Judicial Response? as published by Dr. Susan Maidment in Family Law, May 1998, p. 264-6. This article gives a quick look at some of the success in dealing with PAS in the UK, but the problem with recognition of PAS by the lower courts despite the law that should make it important. Since PAS cases are apparently rarely reported in the reference cases, this becomes a difficult task. This article is also available in PDF format. Parental Alienation is Open Heart Surgery: It Needs More than a Band-Aid to Fix It by Kathleen Niggemyer as published in the California Western Law Review, Volume 34, 1998, p 567-589. This article is talks about parental alienation and, while rejecting the work of Garnder and Turkat (although for the wrong reasons, and generally based on the misrepresentations of others) acknowledges that parental alienation exists -- syndrome or not. The author then looks at the U.S. tort (i.e. suing) solutions that are available and indicates that there is not that much that can be done under the "alienation of affection" rules (in Canada the Supreme Court has basically rejected "alienation of affection" as ever being in the law), but indicates that there may be some ability to deal with it under "purposeful infliction of emotional distress." The auther feels that a truckload of therapists (the author is not a therapist) and reporting back to the court annually will make some sort of a difference for how the children deal with severe alienation. This article has also been put into PDF format. Identifying Cases of Parent Alienation Syndrome--Part I by Leona M. Kopetski as published in The Colorado Lawyer, February 1998, Volume 27, Number 2 p 65-68 (also available in PDF format), and Identifying Cases of Parent Alienation Syndrome--Part II by Leona M. Kopetski as published in The Colorado Lawyer, February 1998, Volume 27, Number 3 p 61-64 (also available in PDF format) These articles deal with evidence of PAS that pre-dated Gardners original work and talks about the impact of PAS on children. The final comments on the second part talks about the significance of sexual reproduction, and equivalent psychological nature of this...."If children are allowed free access to these different people, they do not need a perfect parent. It is not individual parental mistakes that harm the development of children. It is the exclusion of these different people that places them in danger....". The Emerging Problem of Parental Alienation by Caroline Willbourne and Lesley-Anne Cull, as published in Family Law, December 1997, p. 807-8. This document is meant for lawyers and provides an overview of things to look at that indicate parental alienation (though I doubt that lawyers see the children enough to tell) but also talks about the damage done to the children in leaving them in the residential care of the alienating parent.. This document is also available in PDF format. Management of Visitation Interference by Ira Daniel Turkat, Ph.D. as published in The Judges' Journal (Number 36) of the American Bar Association in the Spring of 1997. This document is meant for judges and is very strong and specific about the types of therapy and the considerations in orders that are required to handle access problems when Parental Alienation Syndrome or Divorce-Related Malicious Mother Syndrome in involved. This document is also available in PDF format. Summary of the Practice Parameters for Child Custody Evaluation as published on the website of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as approved in 1997 and published in their Journal. Parental alienation is recognised as the serious problem that it is. This particular page as also been captured in PDF format. Perspectives on Parental Alienation, Child Custody and Dispute Resolution Systems by Anita Vestal was an award winning essay in the American Bar Association's Section on Dispute Resolution and used to be able to be found, in a less formatted form at http://www.abanet.org/dispute/comwin.html -- but no more it appears. This paper is also available in PDF format. This is a good summary of PAS meant for lawyers and discusses such things as the problems with mediation and joint custody when PAS is involved. The Spectrum of Parental Alienation Syndrome (Part I) by Deirdre Conway Rand as published in the American Journal of Forensic Psychology, Volume 15, Number 3, 1997. This came from files at Aktive Fedre, a new fathers' group in Norway (with minor cleaning by FACT) and is kept in two pieces due to the size of the HTML file. These files have also been put into a single file in PDF format. The Spectrum of Parental Alienation Syndrome (Part II) by Deirdre Conway Rand as published in the American Journal of Forensic Psychology, Volume 15, Number 4, 1997. This came from Aktive Fedre as well (with minor cleaning by FACT) and is kept in three pieces due to the size of the HTML file. These files have also been put into a single file in PDF format. These are excellent articles and deal with not only the psychological aspects of PAS, but the legal process and judicial recognition (mostly in the US) of PAS. We would strongly recommend reading them, and then perhaps distributing them to judges, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, journalists, etc. who deal with, or are interested in, the children of divorce. Parental Alienation Syndrome: An Age-Old Custody Problem by Michael R. Walsh and J. Michael Bone from the June 1997 issue of The Florida Bar Journal (p. 93-96). This is also available in PDF format. This is an excellent article for officers of the courts and parents in looking at the face of PAS, the problems with dealing with it, and their roles in protecting the children. Interference with Parental Rights of Noncustodial Parent as Grounds for Modification of Child Custody by Edward B. Borris from the Divorce Litigation, January, 1997. This is a heavily referenced, to US cases, of the handling of alienation and access denial in the United States. A good start when looking for precedents. This document is not yet avilable in PDF format. Relocation as a Strategy to Interfere with the Child-Parent Relationship by Ira Daniel Turkat, Ph.D. from the American Journal of Family Law, Volume 11, 39-41 (1996). This article talks about the unhealthy relocation of children to interfere with parental contact and identifies some of the risk factors associated with this. A good article to look at for casting some question on relocations. This document is available in PDF format. Understanding and Collaboratively Treating Parental Alienation Syndrome by Kenneth H. Waldron, Ph.D. and David E. Joanis, J. D. from the American Journal of Family Law, Volume 10, 121-133 (1996). This is an good article and attempts to broaden the discussion of the nature of PAS by examining the alienating parent, the target parent, and the family system, as well as the techniques used in and results of parental alienation. It also discusses the adversarial system, and the roles of the parties if there is truly a concern about protecting the children. -This document is also available in PDF format. Children's Alignment with Parents in Highly Conflicted Custody Cases by Anita K. Lampel discusses the personality characteristics measured for childer who aligned with a parent (the parent "the child felt provided more empathy and understood the child's age-specific concerns"), nonaligned children, and their parents. In the study about equal numbers (actually a bit more) of the children indicated that father was the "preferred parent". This study was published in Family and Conciliation Courts Review, Vol. 34, No. 2, April 1996, 229-239. This paper is also available in PDF format. A Therapist's View of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Mary Lund discusses the nature of PAS and the structure of therapy groups that could be used. It was published in Family and Conciliation Review, Vol. 33, No. 3, July 1995. This paper is also available in PDF format. Divorce-Related Malicious Mother Syndrome by Ira Daniel Turkat as published in the Journal of Family Violence, Volume 10, No. 3, 1995, p 253-264. This article takes a look at a condition involving somewhat acting like a very severe PAS inducer, but with no other mental disorder affecting behaviour. It is interesting to read. This document has also been put into a PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome: A 'Hidden' Facet of Custody Disputes by Lisa A. Cook, who was apparently a law student at the time. This is a award winning paper, the Lieff Award, of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), a voluntary organisation of lawyers. That particular organisation has been co-opted to represent only feminist and lesbian viewpoints at this point through their LEAF group (Legal Education and Action Fund for Women) with a strong conviction that women should never be accountable. The CBA itself presented its official position that access denial is not a problem, and does not occur in Canada, to the Special Joint Senate/House Committee on Custody and Access. This article takes a look at PAS, and Canadian law, as it was effective at that time. The position of the paper is very much out of sync with the current stance of LEAF and the CBA. I would note that the author concludes: Thus, to search for a solution to P.A.S. is illusory. P.A.S. is multi-faceted in terms of its onset, development, and outcomes. At this point, awareness of the existence of P.A.S. should be given optimum importance. Although this awareness may not encourage an immediate awareness in alienating parents, it may eventually create an atmosphere wherein parents will not feel the need to alienate. Perhaps this will happen when the legalities surrounding divorce become less alienating -- when the truth is not being sacrificed for 'justice" in custody battles. Only then can the parameters of P.A.S. be fully explored., Only then will custody battles have a chance of becoming custody evaluations. I would note that Ms. Cook's SIN indicates that she was likely on a student visa at the time, and there is no indication that she is currently practicing law in Canada (at least under that name). Pity. This document has also been put into a PDF format. Custody and Visitation Interference: Alternative Remedies by Joy M. Feinberg and Lori S. Loeb as published in the AML Journal, Winter 1994, Volume 12, Number 2, p 271-284 (the publication of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers). This article talks about the remedies in the court to the handling of parental alienation syndrome of varying degrees of severity, and to the kidnapping of children. Interestingly, it also talks of the (then) new recouse of tort action (suing for damages in civil court) as another action that can be taken. The article is also available in PDF format. Child Visitation Interference in Divorce by Ira Daniel Turkat from Clinical Psychology Review, Vol. 14, No. 8, pp. 737-742, 1994. This article sets the structure of the various forms of visitation interference and talks about how the courts and the lack of research have become big problems in contributing to this form of child abuse. The article has also been put into a PDF format. The Parental Alienation Syndrome: An Analysis of Sixteen Selected Cases by John Dunne and Marsha Hedrick. This was published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, Vol. 21(3/4), 1994. This article looks at sixteen cases that met Dr. Gardner's criteria for Parental Alienation Syndrome. It shows that traditional interventions in these cases were ineffective, and that the only effective treatment included a change in custody of the alienated child. This material is also available in PDF format. The Detrimental Effects on Women of the Gender Egalitarianism of Child-Custody Dispute Resolution Guidelines by Richard A. Gardner from the Academy Forum Volume 38, Number 1,2 p 10-13 (Spring/Summer 1994), the publication of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis. This article discusses the history of custody over the ages and the possible reasons for the high incidence of parental alienation seen now. The article has also been put into a PDF format. Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Developmental Analysis of a Vulnerable Population by Joseph L. Price, Ph.D. and Kerry S. Pioske, RN, MS, ANP. This was published in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, Vol. 32, No. 11, 1994 p 9-12. This article provides an overview of PAS for nurses and some description of how it fits into psychological framework of the child and the family. This material is also available in PDF format. The Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Dangerous Aura of Reliability by Cheri L. Wood (no apparent qualifications) as published in the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Vol. 29, p 1367-1415 (1994). This article is the paper usually brought up as some to supposedly "destroy" the concept of Parental Alienation Syndrome. It is interesting to read, especially in light of the collection of material on this site. It presents the concept that Dr. Gardner is the only person who believes PAS exisits. It states that there are no articles about PAS in peer reviewed publications (take a look at the site, there have been more than 50 such articles since 1988 and a number of them from Gardner himself). It purports that there is no empirical data for PAS, while a number of the articles here ARE emprical studies, and some took place even before Gardner coined the term. Well, it is a PAS paper that should be of interest if arguing in court (especially in the US). This material is not yet available in PDF format. When You Suspect the Worst: Bad-faith relocation, fabricated child sexual abuse, and parental alienation by Carol Holstein Sanders. This was published in the Family Advocate in the Winter, 1993 edition. This article looks at alienation in context of the other common conditions associated with alienating parents using children as weapons against the other parent. This article is a simple and general piece (well, it was written for lawyers) but amply indicates the tie in on Parental Alienation with many other actions often seen on relationship breakdowns. This material is also available in PDF format. Intractable Access: Is There a Cure? by Ken Byrne and Lawrie Maloney. This was published in the Australian Family Lawyer v. 8(4), 1993, p. 22. This article looks at a particular case of parental alienation syndrome, and the use of supervised transitions in order to overcome the lack of access. This article is also available in PDF format. Expanding the Parameters of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Glenn F. Cartwright as published in the American Journal of Family Therapy, 21 (3), 205-215 (1993). This is available through a link to his personal site at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An excellent paper. He seems to have / make use of a site called "P. A. I. N." (Parental Alienation Information Network") at http://www.education.mcgill.ca/pain/ for the disemmination of material. This particular paper as also been put into a PDF format. Family Wars: The Alienation of Children, Composite case from actual examples by Peggy Ward and J. Campbell Harvey was published in the New Hampshire Bar Journal, Volume 34, No.1, March 1993. A slightly different version, but with the same title, composed all of Newletter #9 (from 1993) of The Professional Academy of Custody Evaluators (PACE) is available through a link to PACE's Web site at http://www.pace-custody.org. This is an excellent and comprehensive paper. The PACE version is available in many different formats across the Web. The PACE verson of this paper has been captured in PDF format, and the New Hampshire paper has been printed in PDF format. Mediation: Parental Alienation Syndrome by Mary Lund from the Family Law News, the official publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section, Volume 15, Number 1, in the Spring of 1992. It provides a very brief overview of the issues with lawyers to help them not contribute to the child abuse known as Parental Alienation. This particular paper as also been put in PDF format. Le syndrome d'aliénation parentale (Parental Alienation Syndrome) by Anne-France Goldwater. This is an article that was originally published in Dévelopments Récents en Droit Familial 1991, P. 121-145, but that was made available through http://www.goldwaterdube.com/ as a Microsoft Word document. There are some other good papers there. Despite the French title, most of this document is in English. It provides a good summary from a Canadian, and specifically a Quebec, legal viewpoint. The Word version of this particular paper as also been put in PDF format. Legal and Psychotherapeutic Approaches to the Three Types of Parental Alienation Syndrome Families by Richard A. Gardner, M.D.. This article was published in the Court Review Volume 28, Number 1, Spring 1991, p. 14-21, the publication of the American Judges Association. This paper describes the three types of PAS and gives some specific pieces of information that judges, at least judges that care, need to know when coming across PAS in the courtroom. You need to read this one. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Mental Health Professionals in Child Custody Disputes: Advocates or Impartial Examiners? by Kenneth Byrne and published in the Autralian Family Lawyer, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1991, p.8. This is article looks at the differences in the functioning and conclusions of an advocate and an examiner. This article is not yet available in PDF format. Custody Disputes Fueling "Parental Alienation Syndrome written about Richard A. Gardner, M.D.. This is a news article was published in the Family Practice News, Volume 20, Number 24, December 15-31, 1990, p 7. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Preventing Parentectomy Following Divorce by Frank S. Williams, M.D.. This article was the keynote address at the Fifth Annual Conference of National Council for Children's Rights held in Washington DC on October 20, 1990. This paper describes problems with the process and motivations for separation of the children from a parent and talks about some of the preventative actions a parent can take. The paper was taken from the Men's Rights Agency site at http://www.ecn.net.au/~mra/page27b.htm and reformated slightly. This site has considerable amounts of interesting data, and can be accessed through the URL http://www.ecn.net.au/~mra/. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Brainwashing in Custody Cases: The Parental Alienation Syndrome by Kenneth Byrne, PhD.. This article was published in the Australian Family Lawyer, v. 4(3), 1989, p.1ff. This paper gives a general overview of PAS, and provides lawyers with a list of things to be aware of that may indicate that alienation is taking place. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Judges Interviewing Children in Custody/Visitation Litigation by Richard A. Gardner, M.D.. This article was published in the New Jersey Family Lawyer, Volume VII, Number 2, August/September 1987, p 26ff. This paper describes the problems that judges have in interviewing children affected by PAS directly, and gives some guidance on the approach and questions that a judge who wants to directly interview the children should take into account. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Post-Divorce Therapy With Highly Conflicted Families by Anita K. Lampel, Ph.D.. This article was published in The Independent Practitioner Volume 6 Number 3, July 1986, p. 22-26, the Bulletin of the Division of Psychologists in Independent Practice, Division 42 of the Americal Psychological Association. This paper describes the success of conventional techniques on mild cases, but indicates that conventional techniques do not work well on severe cases, and that a change in residency has a much greater chance of working. Some of the improvements are discussed. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Recent Trends in Divorce and Custody Litigation by Richard A. Gardner, M.D.. This article was published in the Academy Forum, Volume 29, Number 2, Summer, 1985, p. 3-7. This paper, in the journal of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis is the original paper that introduced the term "Parental Alienation Syndrome" and started the debate. The paper as also been put in PDF format. Understanding and effectively dealing with Hostile-Aggressive Parenting (HAP) [PDF only] is a paper published by Family Conflict Resolution Services. This paper has been of wide-spread interest. HAP as described in a pattern of parenting that encompasses a number of problematic behaviours what would be associated with an alienating parent under PAS who is purposefully seeking to disrupt contact with a parent. The paper seems to be dynamic in its form, and we cannot keep up with some of the changes. The version on this site is currently the May 2004 version. The November 2003 version and February 2003 version are also available.. You may find a more recent version at http://familyconflict.freeyellow.com/General1/RecommendationsHostile-AgressiveParenting.pdf It is interesting in its scope and relatively easy to read. A Guide to the Parental Alienation Syndrome by Stan Hayward. This is the second edition of Stan Hayward's paper. It provides much more specific information and, in particular, some good UK-oriented information (it is interesting to see how things work/don't work there too). Hayward is the Research Officer at Families Need Fathers, which maintains a website at www.fnf.org.uk. Our copy of the paper is more complete than theirs, so this is a locally stored article. This particular paper is not yet available in PDF format. A Guide to the Parental Alienation Syndrome by Stan Hayward. This is available through a link to http://www.coeffic.demon.co.uk, the UK Men and Father's Rights page. An excellent paper. This particular paper as also been captured in PDF format. The Father’s Guide: Coping with Parental Alienation by the Texas Fathers for Equal Rights (T. F. E. R.). This is is a discussion, by fathers, of some of the strategies fathers should consider in re-establishing a relationship with a child who has been alienated but is once again visiting. TFER's seems to have moved, so this page is a copy of the article. This particular paper was captured in PDF format. Dr. Douglas Darnall, a therapist, expert witness and author in Ohio, has a great collection of information on Parental Alienation - the stages that usually occur before the more serious PAS kicks at his site at http://www.parentalalienation.com/PASdirectory.htm. Information on his book is, of course, there too. There is some useful stuff to consider there. If you are interested, Dr. Parnell was the guest at an on-line chat session at Concerned Counselling on February 3, 1998, and that transcript is available here. Parental Alienation Syndrome is an article The Family Court Reform Council of America. This is is a discussion of PAS in general. Their home page can be found at http://www.familycourts.com/. This particular page as also been captured in PDF format. Some Reported Results of Access Denial and Parental Alienation Increased suicidal tendencies were found in people who had experienced the loss of the father. Bron, Strack & Rudolph, Univ. of Gottingen, Germany, 1991 Children showed the most behaviour problems if their parents were in a legal conflict and the visitation was not frequent or regular. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1990 British researchers have found adults who suffer parent loss due to separation or divorce have significantly higher risk of developing agoraphobia withpanic attacks and panic disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1989 Scandinavian research has found a significantly higher number of adults who attempted suicide had lost a parent through divorce in childhood. Acta Psychiatrica, Scandinavia, 1990, 1993 Children who were separated from their father for a period of three months or longer and between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old, suffer a higher risk (2.5 to 5 times higher) of hysteria, emotional disorders and conduct disorder than other children. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 1988 13699 Visitors since September 10, 2000

FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE. FAMILY LAW. ALAMEDA COUNTY COURT

504. THOMAS J. NIXON. ROBIN SILVERMAN. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR. FALSE RESTRAINING ORDERS. COERSION. MANIPULATION. UNDERMINING. INSULTING. GASLIGHTING. PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION. THERAPIST ABUSE. SEPARATE APPOINTMENTS. NO DUE PROCESS. ILLEGAL CHILD INTERVIEW QUESTIONING. CHILD ABUSE. ALIENATION. INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.

Coercion - A Prejudicial Plan to Interrogate the Other Parent

Coercion and Abuse are used by the Family Court System to Manipulate or move the goal posts on an already unlevel field. Separate Mediation Recommended Custody meetings are designed to see one parent first to get a prejudicial plan to interrogate the other parent.

We should all get Restraining Orders on Thomas J. Nixon

Commissioner Nixon's "Best Interest" is in paying his country club fees. That is why he doesn't read reports or consider the history of the case. I feel his punishment should be that he is not allowed to see or talk to his parents or children, and they are not allowed to visit or contact him. Let's see if we can set him to fail. Let's just say we are afraid of him and he is not allowed to be around anyone for fear that he might endanger someone elses life. But he still needs to pay fees, with no income. We should all get Restraining Orders on Thomas J. Nixon.

Ignoring cigarette burns by second hand smoke

The Court wants to ignore reports of cigarette burns hoping no one notices second hand smoke. Where there's smoke there's fire. How else would a child get burned by a cigarette? Only if there was a lit one next to them. The reality of it is that they are too ignorant to figure out the smoke. They are to involved in mocking the accuser and have no intrest in the child. But if the mother was the accuser, no problem. No Due Process- Father Guilty, No Visitation as the commissioner finishes his crossword puzzle so he can phone in chinese before lunch.

Scootered to get ice cream from the licorice store

"It's ok to interview the children", said Commissioner Nixon as he was reviewing the next case so he wouldn't be late for the lunch plans that the other court staff peers had asked him to attend for a few laughs regarding the morning cases of which the fathers' had no attorney and therefore were mocked and ridiculed being they all work together giving pro se litigants a hard time so they would at least think about supporting the country club buddies while Jimmy and Sally need new shoes the Sheriff noticed when he posted a notice to quit on the front door of the home they worked so hard to pay and maintain.

"Hell no don't let them interview the children", said the father due to the social workers report stating daddy doing flips in the princess jumpy at Sally's party after cleaning up the spilled beer inside of it while the youngest daughter says they rode scooters to the licorice store to buy ice cream. Any parent does not want the childrens clothes smelling like beer they slipped on in the jumpy.

Feminist Fraud Factions That Cover-Up the Tyranny against Fathers in Family Court

Feminist Fraud Factions That Cover-Up the Tyranny against Fathers in Family Court


by Shane Flait (2011)

 Fathers are being destroyed under the tyrannical feminist policies of family

court. A massive state industry is based and funded on its anti-father court

judgments. This article overviews the various factions in this industry and

within society that help cover up this tyranny against fathers, family and

freedom.  

 The tyranny

Family court processes and judgments, under divorce and paternity suits,

overwhelmingly deny fit fathers their parental rights to care for and directly

support their children. All constitutional due process is ignored while the state

and the mother virtually kidnap the children from the father and then extort

debilitating and destructive payments - euphemistically called child support –

from him for up to 22 years and for whatever the mother wishes.

This puts the father in a virtual slave position without constitutional rights and

easily thrown in jail if he can’t pay everything demanded by the court. Any

accusation of abuse the mother makes against the father will guarantee this

situation too. It’s a criminalizing process that is also extortive and devoid of

constitutional due process.

 The courts use ‘greater good’ excuse laws – specifically, the best interest of

the child, and the safety of women abuse excuses – pushed, supported, and

maintained by feminist and women’s rights adherents. These laws

unconstitutionally override the fundamental rights and protections that our

constitution is supposed to guarantee to each of us. ‘Greater good’ laws are

always the excuse of tyrannies. Our individual fundamental rights and

protection are supposed to be freedom’s greater good.

 A state-based industry, I call the divorce and domestic violence industry

(DDVI), has exploded over the last 40 years whose funding, directly or

indirectly, relies on the denial of fundamental rights that fathers face in family

court. The DDVI includes the judicial, executive and legislative departments, at

both state and federal levels, and all affiliates that help adjudicate, prosecute,

extort money from, and punish fathers subjected to these tyrannical family

courts. State and nationwide child support payments and the enormous funding

by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) trigger enormous fees,

commissions, penalties, and job security for all components of the DDVI.

 The Feminist Fraud – a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Feminist ideas and adherents have pervaded all aspects of society – education,

business, government, and media. In fact it’s popular for many politicians -

including men – to consider themselves feminists. That’s because they’re for

‘equal rights’ or equal opportunity’ for women.

 But the feminist fraud is the misconception that feminism simply means equal

opportunity for women when, in fact, state-imposed feministic policies,

especially in the judicial processes, have forced feminist sexism against men

and denial of fundamental rights and protections to men and fathers.  A great

deal of feminist-based propaganda had distorted facts to push their agenda of

privileges for women – often called women’s rights – but at the direct denial of

constitutional rights of men.

 It’s based on phony propaganda that men are bad and women are good. It’s a

‘divide and conquer’ strategy. The perversion of our laws and policies has used

propaganda and obscuration of these denials of most fundamental rights.

 True liberty means the protection of individual rights – the unalienable rights

the U.S. was formed to secure for each of us. Communism and Nazism, the 20th

century tyrannies, professed other rights – social rights – as more important

than individual rights. They, of course, needed to impose their ‘rights’ and

‘views’ since they’re ultimately unnatural rights and undermine our natural

liberties. Socialism is the handmaiden of such tyrannies – and more so the

greater socialist policies and mandates pervade society.

 The feministic ‘PC’ intolerance we’ve all come to know reflects the

suppression of any criticism of whatever feministic/women’s policy is being

pushed or imposed. It reflects the mindset that underlies most feminism. That’s

why it’s better characterized as feminazism.

 The fruit of state-imposed feminism is most evident in family court where fit

fathers under complaints from women are virtually criminalized and enslaved

without constitutional due process. No equal opportunity - nor equal outcome -

is allowed to occur in these courts - as feminism in any other circumstance

would demand!  And all procedures are arranged to suppress awareness of this

unjust circumstance.

 Taking place through the family court judgments is the most dramatic re-

engineering of society into a matriarchal tyranny based on enslaving fathers to

perform their (slave) responsibility devoid of their fundamental parental rights,

benefits, and other constitutional protections. The enormous fallout from these

feminist-instigated and maintained policies is shown in the social pathology

children face today and the destruction of fathers and family – and, of course,

freedom.

 The feminist fraud factions that maintain this tyranny against fathers

Imposing state-feminism that denies fathers their parental rights while

propagandizing the ‘divide and conquer’ men-bad / women-good strategy are

three major factions of society. Together, they wield enormous power to

implement this tyranny but at the same time cover up the effective denial of

rights this tyranny relies upon.

 They are:

Government branches led by judiciary by its anti-father and unjust family

court orders. It imposes the greater good excuse laws against men and fathers.
Rights-related Organizations which enforce their view on society through

women's rights and safety of women. These include national and international

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).  They imposed the same type of

‘greater good’ excuse laws and policies that deny to fathers what we consider

as fundamental rights. They ignore fundamental rights of fathers where they

confront feminist/women’s rights issues.
the PC media, which constitutes most of the media, press and TV. They spin

events to to favor a feminist prospective or simply ignore or suppress anything

that exposes the horrendous injustice taking place against fathers especially.
What type of people would cover up such injustice

Three categories of people exist within these factions that keep this tyranny

going – and hidden. They are

1.     Those who work to put the feminist agenda in place - they are willing to

walk over men's and fathers' fundamental rights. They're out there in large

numbers hiding under the feminist fraud - i.e. the lie of 'equal opportunity' or

'equality'.

2.     Those who know that something is very wrong. They can see it and are

afraid to speak up. They don't want to be ostracized, lose a possible promotion,

or lose their jobs for being 'unsensitive' to the propaganda about women's

plight.

3.     Those who are not clear what's happening or don’t want to think about it

- or are simply brainwashed on feminism and can’t or refuse to see the clear

injustice. They just leave it to others and collect their $200 for passing go in

the process.

The first category of people represents the ideologues of feminazism. They are

the leaders and key workers that brought this tyranny into existence and now

enforce its malicious ways. They pervade all three of the feminist fraud

factions listed above.

The last two classes of people are the cowards necessary for any tyranny to

prevail. Such types flourish as the moral character of a society degenerates

and the tyranny grows.

Parental Child Abductors

Parental Child Abductors
According to Huntington, post-divorce parental child stealing has been on the increase since the mid-1970s, paralleling the rising divorce rate and the explosion of litigation over child custody (18). An abducting parent views the child's needs as secondary to the parental agenda which is to provoke, agitate, control, attack or psychologically torture the other parent. It should come as no surprise, then, that post-divorce parental abduction is considered a serious form of child abuse. Psychological maltreatment may predominate or be accompanied by physical abuse and neglect. Abducting parents take the idea that the child would be better off without the other parent to an extreme. Clawar and Rivlin found that would-be abductors often felt frustrated in their efforts to gain access to their child through the legal system and felt "forced" to abduct the child (7). Sometimes, they became so convinced of the terrible scenario they were broadcasting about the target parent that they felt no "choice" but to flee with the child and go into hiding. In order to win the child's cooperation in maintaining concealment, the abductor must continue to brainwash the child with fear of the target parent and what would happen if the target parent should find the abducting parent and child.

Brainwashing in Custody Cases

Brainwashing in Custody Cases:
The Parental Alienation Syndrome

by Kenneth Byrne

Introduction

Divorce is one of the most stressful experiences that most people in our culture will experience in a lifetime. It is often accompanied by strong feelings of bitterness, betrayal, anger and distrust of the former partner. Each party often feels that they are "right" in many of their views on issues about which the couple disagree. When they have children the picture becomes infinitely more complicated. Among many other reactions, there is often a tendency for each partner to want the support or agreement of the child (or children) on critical issues. The more difficulty and intensity of negative feeling between the two adults, the more likely is this to be the case.

In some cases, the desire to have the agreement of the child can become strong enough to verge into brainwashing. By brainwashing I mean an effort on one parent's part to get the child to give up his or her own positive perceptions of the other parent and change them to agree with negative views of the influencing parent. At this intensity the motivation of the parent goes beyond simply getting the agreement and support of the children. Commonly, brainwashing parents are motivated by an opportunity to wreak a powerful form of revenge on the other parent -diminishing the affections of the children.

Typical examples include mentioning obvious weaknesses of the other parent and blaming those as the major source of difficulty between the parents. Nothing is said about the other parent's positive traits. The fact that both parents have contributed to the problem is also omitted.

This kind of communication has at least two psychologically destructive effects. First, it puts the child squarely in the middle of a contest of loyalty, a contest which cannot possibly be won. The child is asked to choose who is the preferred parent. No matter what choice, the child is very likely to end up feeling painfully guilty and confused. This is because in the overwhelming majority of cases, what the child wants and needs is to continue a relationship with each parent, as independent as possible from their own conflicts.

Second, the child is required to make a shift in assessing reality. One parent is presented as being totally to blame for all problems, and as someone who is devoid of any positive characteristics. Both of these assertions represent one parent's distortions of reality. It is as if the child walks outside on a sunny day in summer clothes, and feels quite comfortable. Then one parent says, "Billy, it's raining right now, and it's cold. You have to wear a raincoat and jumper". To appease that parent. the child must act in accordance with that statement, and bend his own perceptions of reality.

Some may argue that such behaviour is simply accommodating to the directions of a parent, something that children have to do all the time. However, in healthy interactions, the child is encouraged to accept a view of reality that is both accurate and adaptive. ("I know you don't want to study, but unless you do you might very well fail the test.")

Adults in the midst of a divorce are not famous for their objectivity, especially regarding their spouse. Typically, over weeks, months and years, the child is exposed to a long series of such distortions. In many cases, directly opposite information is being presented by the other parent. Children caught in this cross-fire inevitably end up with a significant degree of psychological disturbance, not the least of which is a distortion in basic reality testing about the world around them.

In divorces where the parents are unable to find any way to mediate the questions of custody and access, they typically turn to the legal system. In most cases, each seeks the advice of their own solicitor, setting in motion a legal duel. One of the effects of this duel is that each parent senses the need for a list of "horror stories" about the other. The intuitive feeling is that if it can be shown that the other parent is "worse" through a longer and more vivid list of horror stories, then "victory" in the form of physical custody (or greater access in some cases) will be won.

The Parental Alienation Syndrome

In cases of contested custody and access, mental health professionals have been seeing with increasing frequency an extreme form of brainwashing which has been called The Parental Alienation Syndrome (originally described by Dr. Richard Gardner, "Recent Developments in Child Custody Litigation", The Academy Forum Vol. 29 No. 2: The American Academy of Psychoanalysis, 1985). Children who are suffering with this situation have been subjected to an intense and persistent form of brainwashing by one parent against the other. The overt goal is almost always - at a minimum - to dramatically reduce contact by the child with that other parent. Commonly, the goal becomes to virtually eliminate the other parent from the child's life.

Example: Mrs. Litigious complained to her solicitor that her two children, aged five and eight, kept refusing to see their father on access visits, and that with each passing week, they became more tearful and resistant as the visit approached. She wondered whether the mid-week visit couldn't be reduced to every second or third week, or eliminated altogether, in order "to spare the kids all this pressure".

Mrs. Litigious had been married to her first husband, Mr. Cross, for ten years. She divorced four years ago, and is now remarried to Mr. Litigious. The solicitor asked for consultation from a forensic psychologist, Dr. Neutral.

Mr. Cross, father of both children, complained to his solicitor that his former wife was making it increasingly difficult to see his children. It started with him being kept waiting for increasingly longer periods of time when he would pick them up. Recently they had been pouting and saying he was "mean", with the younger echoing the older's complaints. On weekend visits this would last through Friday night and Saturday morning. By lunch time, both children began to seem happier, and the rest of the visit would go fine, until the drive back to mum's house. At this point the kids would again begin to disparage the father, saying for example, "We don't really like you - we only pretended to have a good time".

During his first visit with Dr. Neutral, Joe Cross, aged 8, said that he disliked his father very much, and did not want to seek him as often. When questioned about his reasons for this, he said "He hits me and doesn't let me watch television". The youngster could say nothing positive about his father, yet found a wide variety of praises for mum, with virtually no complaints about her.

Lisa Cross, age 5, virtually echoed her brother's words. Her reasons for not wanting to see her father were that "When I go there he justs sits around and he makes me cook dinner!" She too could find nothing positive about father, and had no complaints at all about mother.

In a joint visit with father and the two children, Joe's complaints were aired. Mr. Cross readily acknowledged that what his son had said was correct, but put it in further context. He limited television to two hours, and made Joe stop when that time was up. On a recent Saturday morning, Joe had balked at this limit, an argument developed, and father slapped him once on the bottom.

In individual visits it soon became clear that Mrs. Litigious despised her former husband. Since the initial separation there had been a continuing feud, with bitter accusations on both sides. She argued strongly that whilst she encouraged and even forced her children to accept access visits, it was they who were now reluctant and unwilling. Her proposed solution was less access time. Her husband, when seen alone, echoed her bitterness. In his opinion it would be better for the children to never see their father, since he had no positive virtues whatever.

Psychological evaluation of Mr. Cross indicated that he was an argumentative and rigid man, who many would see as being somewhat difficult to deal with. He was also seen as a quite adequate father, who offered his children a good deal of love and support, and who was deeply attached to them.

Evaluation of Mrs. Cross found her to be a devoted and competent mother, but a rather immature woman, prone to let her emotions override her judgement.

In a report tendered to the court and to all parties, Dr. Neutral made the diagnosis of Parental Alienation Syndrome, and made specific recommendations for resolution of the matter.

This case illustrates all of the diagnostic symptoms of this disorder in its fully developed form. These symptoms are:

The child shows a complete lack of ambivalence one parent is described almost entirely negatively, the other almost entirely positively;

The reasons given for the dislike of one parent may appear to be justified, but investigation shows them to be flimsy and exaggerated; with younger children, the reasoning is even more transparent;

The child proffers the opinion of wanting less contact with one parent in a way which requires little or no prompting. The complaints have a quality of being rehearsed or practised;

The child seems to show little or no concern for the feelings of the parent being complained about;

The alienating parent, while seemingly acting in the best interests of the children, is actually working to destroy the relationship between them and the other parent. It is not uncommon for this to be further fuelled by new spouses or de factos;

Most importantly, while the children will verbally denigrate one parent, they retain an unspoken closeness and affection for that parent. However, if the syndrome is allowed to develop unchecked, this can be all but erased by the alienating parent.

These symptoms are seen exclusively in children where parents are engaged in a legal battle for custody or access. The more protracted and bitter the dispute, the more this is likely to occur.

The Parental Alienation Syndrome represents the intertwining of a complex series of factors. It certainly goes well beyond simple brainwashing. It is begun and propelled by a host of factors in the alienating parent, including both unconscious and subconscious elements. The child, independent of the brainwashing parent, can have a vested interest in maintaining an overt position against one parent for both conscious and unconscious reasons.

The case above describes the syndrome in a relatively "pure" form. More often, the case is complicated by a host of other factors. For example, allegations of child sexual abuse are being lodged with increasing frequency during custody battles. Often the child will report details of how the other parent (usually the father) has abused the child. Some of these claims are legitimate; many more are manifestations of this syndrome embedded in charges of abuse. Kidnapping of children, often across state or national borders, is being reported with increasing frequency; (speaking at The Bicentenary Family Law Conference at Melbourne in March, 1988, Lawrence Stotter provided the following figures. Between 1973 and 1979, 85 cases of international child abduction were reported to the United States Consular Affairs Office. For the years 1983 to 1988, this figure had jumped to 1,516). On top of the web of legal challenges which these cases present, there is the added element of this syndrome operative in most, if not all, cases.

Professional Misjudgement

I have encountered several cases in which mental health professionals have allowed themselves to become embroiled in these scenarios without appreciating what they were dealing with.

Case 1: At the request of the court, a psychiatrist, Dr. Eager, conducted a custody evaluation concerning Mary, age 6. After one interview with each parent, he recommended that the father have custody and the mother be granted limited access. The court followed this recommendation. The mother lodged an appeal against this decision. After the court made its initial decision, the father asked the psychiatrist to accept his daughter for treatment. Dr. Eager agreed, seeing the girl once weekly with occasional visits with father. However, he did not involve mother in the treatment, and neither father nor Dr. Eager even told her the daughter was being treated.

During the next hearing, the father produced a letter from Dr. Eager which indicated that he was now treating Mary. His letter described how the child told him how frightened she was of her mother, and quoted the girl, then aged six, reporting memories from when she was three about how her mother had hit her. He concluded that "In my opinion Mary's emotional state is still not stable enough to allow her to have access to her mother. I cannot estimate how long it will be before the child would be well enough to begin any sort of regular access." He then commented that "If access must commence, I believe it would be best done in a supervised setting with an independent third party, such as a representative from the State social work department."

Here Dr. Eager treats a child without involving the mother, whom he has already met. He accepts unquestioningly the memory of a six year old of events she couldn't possibly recall, and overlooks any possibility of programming of the child by the father. Perhaps most importantly, based on only one interview with mother, he concludes that the child is too unstable to visit her.

Several questions could be posed. If the mother is so destructive and frightening, wouldn't a natural part of the treatment be the re-uniting of the mother and child in a safe, controlled environment, such as the therapist's office, where there would also be an opportunity to explore more carefully her parenting ability? If deficiencies were found, wouldn't it help the child to have the therapist teach the mother how to parent this girl more effectively? Finally, how can one treat a six year old without involving the mother?

Case 2: A mother brought her two children, aged 5 and 7, to the family GP and described how reluctant they were to see their father during access visits. The doctor provided a letter to the mother's solicitor which said "I have interviewed Billy and Sally at 2:10 pm in my surgery. I have a videotape of the interview if required.

"Both children have indicated they do not wish to see their father. It is my opinion that it is the individual and personal wish of Billy and Sally to decline their father's access. It is also my professional opinion that if such access were granted it would be detrimental to the welfare of the children."

The doctor accepted at face value the statements made by the mother and children. Without consulting the father, who was known to him, he offered this professional opinion to the solicitor for one side. His reasoning appears to be that these children of five and seven are able to determine a matter of the magnitude of whether or not it is in their best interest to visit and thereby maintain a relationship with their father.

In each of these cases a medical professional, using the weight of that authority, offered a written opinion for one parent's "cause" without a careful assessment of the other parent or of the underlying situation between the couple. As closely as I can determine, both professionals seemed well motivated, though naive. In my opinion, their efforts only aggravated already difficult situations. Each seemed to be led into this error by being manoeuvred by one party into becoming an advocate for one side, instead of serving as an impartial examiner.

Guidelines for Solicitors

When faced with parents or children who want to reduce or eliminate access visits, maintain a healthy degree of scepticism. Remember that even children who have unquestionably been physically or sexually abused are usually extremely reluctant to discuss this with a stranger. When a child easily volunteers mostly negative criticisms to a solicitor, mental alarm bells should go off.

Do everything possible to hear both sides of the story. This requires remaining more flexible on occasion. Legal training is designed to instil an adversarial spirit, and parents who use children in this way can quickly stir up one's "mental juices" to "fight for this child". To hear both sides of a story doesn't mean that you can't be adversarial later, if need be. Try to arrange a without prejudice round table conference of the parties and their solicitors.

Chose experts who insist on being involved only as an impartial examiner from the outset. Such experts are less likely to be drawn into becoming advocates. Selecting these people means that you risk getting an opinion . on which doesn't favour your client, and perhaps losing the fight the client is paying you to win. However, it greatly enhances the possibility that you will obtain an opinion which is genuinely in the best interests of the child. Should the opinion favour your client, the evidence of such an expert is far more likely to be found credible by the judge.

Use courtroom litigation only as a very last resort

Litigation is psychologically damaging to children. The more times that the couple goes to court, the more damage is done to children. Aren't there times when court is the only answer? Yes, but they aren't nearly as frequent as the number of cases which actually end up in court.

Consider alternative solutions to the courtroom. When the couple will agree to counselling, this is obviously the preferred solution. However, by the time the couple reaches solicitors, the likelihood of their selecting such a recommendation is only modest. A thorough evaluation by a truly impartial examiner often helps to settle cases before getting to court. Another option is court-ordered counselling, to which all parties agree. To be successful, certain prerequisites are essential. The plan must have the support of both solicitors. Certain changes to the usual rules of confidentiality need to be agreed upon in writing. The therapist must be able to see all parties in whatever combination is considered warranted. New spouses or de factos must be available for involvement. The therapist must have sufficient time to work with the family - these cases aren't worked out in just a couple of visits. It is not essential that the parties want counselling. It is only essential that they agree to a court order, and that they see this as being preferable to a courtroom battle.

Conclusion

The Parental Alienation Syndrome represents an extreme form of brainwashing of children by one parent. It is always seen in the context of disputed custody or access situations. The goal of the brainwashing parent is to get revenge. There is no greater revenge than blocking the other parent from playing a meaningful role in the child's life. The syndrome has clear signs and symptoms and, with appropriate procedures, can be diagnosed and treated. This syndrome is also seen in more complex forms, when it is embedded in situations of alleged child sexual abuse or child kidnapping. It can easily be misdiagnosed by professionals who have not educated themselves about these situations, and misguided efforts at helping can worsen an already bad situation.

Dr. Byrne is a clinical and forensic psychologist in full time private practice in Clifton Hill, Victoria, and is an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine, Monash

Biological Parents and Third-Parties

In disputes between biological parents and third-parties, we don’t want decisions to be based on “the best interests of the child”
Posted Monday, January 30th, 2012 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights, Child Custody, Jurisprudence, Law and Culture, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to General Public

A review of the excellent news reporting from Allyson Bird at the Charleston Post and Courier, regarding the adoption case involving two year-old, Veronica, her prospective adoptive parents, Matt and Melanie Capobianco, and her Cherokee birth father, Dusten Brown, demonstrates a misunderstanding when a “best interests of the child” standard is applicable.  For custody cases between two biological or legal parents, such a standard is perfectly appropriate.  For custody cases between parents and non-parents, application of such a standard is frankly totalitarian.

The facts of Veronica’s case are tragic.  She was placed with the Capobiancos shortly after her birth.  Four months later Brown, a member of the Cherokee nation and an Oklahoma resident, sought a finding of paternity and custody.  After a recent trial, the family court judge, applying the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (an act which I acknowledge knowing nothing about), ruled in Brown’s favor and ordered Veronica placed with her father.  Brown recently took Veronica from the Capobiancos to Oklahoma.  The South Carolina Supreme Court has accepted direct review of the Capobiancos’ appeal.  Meanwhile supporters of the Capobiancos hold public demonstrations and petition drives, with our state governor, Nikki Haley, telling the press, “My heart breaks for Matt and Melanie.”   Many of the commentators ask how removing a two year old from the only caregivers she has ever known and placing her with a stranger can be in the child’s “best interests,” with the implication that it cannot be.

To which I would retort, “so what?”  Or to be less flippant, “do we really want the state taking children away from their biological parents merely because it believes the child’s ‘best interests’ lie elsewhere?”   In custody battles between biological parents and third-parties, I think most of us would agree that we want to impose a high burden on the state before giving custody to third-parties.

For almost a century the United States Supreme Court has recognized that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment to the United State Constitution gives parents a protected liberty interest in raising their children.  For more information on this topic, see “Constitutional Limitations On Family Court Authority To Override Parental Decision Making.”  South Carolina case law recognizes that in order to remove a child from a biological parent and place that child with a third-party, one must first prove the parent is unfit. Kay v. Rowland, 285 S.C. 516, 331 S.E.2d 781, 782 (1985).   Even when the parent tries to obtain the child back from a third-party, the courts do not employ a pure best interests standard but instead employ the four-part test set forth in Moore v. Moore, 300 S.C. 75, 386 S.E.2d 456, 458 (1989).   For more information on this topic, see “When Parents Seek to Reclaim Custody from Third-parties: Moore & Its Progeny.”

Most of us should be glad the courts don’t employ a best interests standard in custody battles between biological parents and third-parties.  If the courts employed such a standard, anyone who could claim to do a better job parenting then we do could, in theory, seek and obtain custody of our own children.  When my own first child was born, my wife and I were new residents of Charleston, South Carolina, and knew few people within the state.  We were both unemployed and deeply in (student loan) debt.  There were many people who were in objectively better circumstances to raise our daughter but, because we only needed to be fit parents to withstand such a challenge, we had no risk of losing custody of her to a third-party.  I suspect many first time parents are in similar situations.  It’s a good thing we don’t allow the government to always employ a best interests standard in deciding our own children’s custody.

Most Americans rightly deplore the child rearing practices of totalitarian societies in which children are seen as the property of the state and are encouraged to spy on their parents and report any parental deviation from the state orthodoxy.  We read fiction such as “Brave New World” as a dystopian warning against allowing the state, rather than parents, to raise children.  Preventing the state from imposing its own judgment of a child’s “best interests” against the wishes of a biological parent may result in occasional tragic stories such as Veronica’s (which might have been less tragic if the Capobiancos had agreed to let her live with her biological father immediately after he sought custody).  Veronica’s case might be ideal to debate the steps that a biological father of a child born out of wedlock should be required to undertake to develop his parental rights.  It might be a useful case to debate the balance between state/federal government and Indian sovereign rights.   But allowing the state carte blanche to place children wherever it wishes upon the state’s own determination of the child’s “best interests” is totalitarian social engineering.

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Tags: Adoption, Capobianco, Charleston Post & Courier, Child Custody, Jurisprudence, Nikki Haley, Paternity

9 Responses to “In disputes between biological parents and third-parties, we don’t want decisions to be based on “the best interests of the child””
Van says:
January 30, 2012 at 8:56 am
We agree on something 100%.

Reply
Jenny Moser says:
January 30, 2012 at 9:03 am
Greg —

Excellent piece and I overwhelmingly agree with you!

Reply
Alexia Pittas says:
January 30, 2012 at 11:08 am
Extremely insightful comments on a difficult issue.

Reply
William Hamilton says:
January 30, 2012 at 12:06 pm
It’s ironic that all these conservatives rushing in to take a side here haven’t considered these issues. Child custody decisions are an extreme intrusion of state power into family life and we need to be clear about the limits. It’s easy to imagine a society were children are routinely taken from parents to obtain better home placements, however there are massive secondary impacts which would produce a society none of us could recognize. Current law recognizes an important distinction.

The Indian welfare act grew out of recognition that huge numbers of native American children were being taken away from their families and tribes, often with very poor results after childhood ended.

Reply
Lilly Collette says:
January 30, 2012 at 12:52 pm
William, I do so agree with you.

Reply
Anna Galle says:
January 30, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I agree! Your post does a wonderful job of showing how good intentions, i.e., the best interest of the child, can have unintended consequences.

Reply
Lilly Collette says:
January 30, 2012 at 12:47 pm
This particular case is relying heavily on uninformed emotion with a stated intent to contravene established laws.

My 5:26 AM comment of 1/26/2012 at http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/25/20000-want-to-save-veronica/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:bcd58443-34de-4aed-8b44-427cf3e6a39c

Quoting Nicola Ford: “and no this petition is not legally binding- no one ever said it was or pretended it to be anything of the sort. so yeah a 16 year old could sign it. it does show legislators people are watching them.”

I then asked Ms. Ford, do you really believe that putting our legislators on notice that they are being wathed in this family law case will have any influence on the outcome?

To which Ms. Ford replied: “the the pressure is relentless, yes. i have worked for a us senator, so i have an idea about how it works.”

My dear Ms. Ford as ‘tacky’ as you falsely accuse me of being at least I have been well mannered enough to not seek changes in law through ‘bullying’ members of the lesgislature — not even one you allege to have been employed by.

Reply
Tom Ward says:
February 6, 2012 at 4:22 pm
The most obvious “state” actor in this case is the Cherokee nation, which claims a sort of proprietary right in this child of extremely exiguous Cherokee background. And and the parents being assaulted here are the Cappobiancos, who have been forced to place their daughter in the hands of a Mr. Brown, who despite the genetic connection had signed away his rights to Veronica and thus became the “third party” in the dispute. Totalitarian? Perhaps. But if so, it is you, Mr. Forman, who are defending the totalitarian side.

Reply
Gregory Forman says:
February 7, 2012 at 10:13 am
Mr. Ward:

My blog expressed no opinion on who should have custody of Veronica. I don’t know enough about the case to express an opinion.

The point of my blog wasn’t to argue who should have custody of Veronica. The goal was to explain why analyzing her case from a “best interests” standard was misguided and dangerous. When people take the time to actually consider the jurisprudential concerns that arise from custody fights between parents and non-parents, they begin to realize the danger of allowing the state to apply a “best interests” analysis to such disputes.

Would you dispute that there ought to be a high burden before the state removes children from their biological parents to place them with third-parties?

False Reporting
Penal Code § 11172(a)

Any person reporting a known or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect shall not incur civil or criminal liability as a result of any report unless it can be proven that a false report was made and the person knew that the report was false or was made with reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the report.

Any person who makes a report of child abuse or neglect known to be false or with reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the report is liable for any damages caused.

http://thomasjnixon.blogspot.com/

http://thomasjnixon.blogspot.com/

How Sociopathic Parents Use Police Reports for Defamation

How Sociopathic Parents Use Police Reports for Defamation

Written by: Rob  


A common problem that many parents in child custody battles experience is the malicious false police reports generated by the

nasty ex exhibiting sociopathic behaviors. Such people may suffer from a personality disorder associated with pathological lying

such as BPD or NPD, but not all people with BPD or NPD will resort to filing false police reports.

You might think that when the police investigate and find that the ex lied or can’t keep her or his story straight, that will be

the end of it. But for many target parents, that is not the case at all. Instead, the nasty ex takes those reports and uses them

as the basis for spreading defamation that looks very official and credible looking to the average naive person on the street.

With a little effort, she or he can have dozens or more people believing the lies by using the police reports to deceive and

manipulate them.

Sometimes, false police reports even get people arrested wrongly. Look at what happened to the father in the article Ben

Vonderheide Exposes Pennsylvania’s Abusive Child Profiteering Racket. He was falsely arrested and his son taken from him. Later,

his falsely accusing ex and her new boyfriend were convicted of filing false police reports in a criminal court with its far

higher evidentiary standards than family court. But he is still suffering from the damage caused by the false police reports

even years later.

More often, false police reports and the resulting “official looking” papers generated are used to defame and harass the target

parent. This is a common element in the distortion campaigns practiced by Borderlines, Narcissists, and other abusively

dishonest personalities.

What Police Reports Contain

Police reports do not have a standard format. Not only do they vary from department to department, there can even be multiple

versions of a police report for a single incident.

A typical police report contains several informational sections. These include data such as the following:

Name(s) and identifying information on alleged victim
Name(s) and identifying informaton on alleged perpetrator
Incident location
Date and time of incident
Name(s) of witnesses
Alleged crime expressed as possible charges, usually expressed in terms of legal code
Alleged victim’s description of alleged crime
Initial statements of police officers
Lists of evidence collected or seized
Interviews with witnesses
Follow-up interviews with alleged victim
Interview with alleged perpetrator
Follow-up interviews with other parties
Results of field tests
Results of lab tests
Sections 1 to 8 are found in nearly every report. Depending upon what happened, the police may never get around to creating or

adding the rest. Furthermore, it is not unusual for the police to start circulating a report without the later sections even if

they have them or are working on them. “Victim’s reports” are often reports handled out to people claiming a crime was committed

prior to investigation without any verification whatsoever of accuracy. Yet because they are on “official” paper, the average

naive Jane or Joe might actually believe they are accurate and truthful when neither is even remotely certain.

For instance, see the arrest report for Henry Gates, President Barack Obama’s professor friend who works at Harvard University.

There is no indication of follow-up investigation whatsoever. You only see the first few sections reflected on that report.

Gates comes off looking like he might be a burglar resisting arrest.

But that’s not the only version of the report circulated. See a second version of the Henry Gates police report. Now he looks

like a guy who is overly accusatory about racism and mean to cops.

Notice the differences? One has a booking record reflecting an arrest, the other has a much more extensive description of the

incident. The first was circulated by FOX News. The second was circulated by a website called A View From the Right.

Police reports don’t determine guilt. But if you didn’t already know about this case from the news and a friend of your showed

you the first report and said this man is a robber who resisted arrest, would you believe it? There isn’t anything to contradict

it, in fact it looks like it might match what your friend is saying.

Now if you got the second report, that one shows that Sergeant Crowley thinks the man lives in the house but is acting very

aggressively. If your police hating friend showed it to you after expressing an opinion, you might think it appears that Crowley

intentionally lured an upset Gates outside his home so he could arrest him for being disorderly in public. If your cop friend

showed it to you, you might think Gates is a raving nut and deserved to be arrested.

What’s the truth? Whatever it is, it certainly isn’t entirely captured in the police reports.

Various news organizations published and then hid different versions of these police reports. Others have speculated they were

trying to hide the behaviors of Gates for various reasons. When the mainstream news media with experienced reporters can’t even

keep the police reports straight, do you think you will be able to understand and detect an inaccurate or false police report?

The odds are good that you will be unable to do so.

How Sociopaths Alter Police Reports for Defamation Purposes

Police reports don’t tell the whole story, but they can be incriminating and misleading. This is exactly why sociopathic parents

like to file false police reports and then use them to defame and harass their victims.

It is a common trick for a sociopathic parent to spread around incomplete versions of police reports that omit the investigative

sections that reflect what the police found when they interviewed witnesses, collected and tested evidence, and tried to piece

together what really happened.

The first sections typically identify the alleged victim and alleged perpetrator. But they don’t say “alleged” on them. All it

takes to get a police report naming somebody as a perpetrator, offender, or some other incriminating term is to lie to the cops.

They will gladly hand a copy of the false police report on request to the false accuser, thereby providing her or him with

ammunition to attack the actual victim. Now the real perp, the sociopathic parent, has a document that has the police falsely

calling the real victim out as a perpetrator. She or he may start showing this to teachers, principals, doctors, nurses,

pastors, neighbors, family members, and more to destroy the reputation of the target parent and to incite these people to help

them attack and ruin the target parent and keep the children away.

Later sections include statements by the alleged victim. Often the police will talk with this person more than once. Sociopaths

often have trouble keeping their “facts” (really lies) straight. So if there are two or three different interviews with police,

there will likely be two or three (sometimes even more) variations of the lies with significant differences. How can they fix

this? Simple, leave out all but one version. Often it simply takes not copying the entire report to turn a complete report that

clearly looks like a nutcase’s ravings into convincing looking abridged report.

If somebody shows you a police report to try to convince you that her or his ex is a psycho abuser, be very skeptical. If you

don’t see all or nearly all the sections I mentioned above in the report, particularly repeated interviews with the alleged

victim and with other witnesses, you are probably looking at an incomplete report. You should strongly consider that the person

is trying to deceive and manipulate you. This is all the more likely if you have never spent significant time with the accused

person. Pathological liars are adept at identifying gullible people who lack sufficient insight to resist their deceit and

manipulation. Having little direct knowledge of the accused means you are likely to be gullible.

If all the sections are there, read them all and see if it makes any sense. Look for inconsistencies, particularly in the

accuser’s story. Often these people are such liars that they can’t remember what they said from day to day. Every time they tell

their victimhood story, it will be different. That’s likely because it didn’t happen like they said.

Look for motivations. Why is this person showing you the report, anyway? If it seems the person is trying to get you to take

sides, play the victim, solicit you for money to help, or otherwise get something from you, the odds are high that she or he is

trying to deceive and manipulate you.

Ultimately, if somebody was never charged with a crime, you should be extremely skeptical of the police report. Except possibly

for the well-connected, that generally means the case was so weak that the prosecutor’s office thought they would lose.

Be Somewhat Skeptical Of Convictions, Too

Sadly, in this era of government tyranny and routine violations of people’s rights, a conviction doesn’t always mean actual

guilt, either, even if the accused person “confessed” to the crime.

Prosecutors like to scare people with extreme scenarios to force them to plea-bargain so they can claim another “win” when

running for re-election without having to spend much time on the case. Go after an accused shoplifter with accusations of murder

(somebody died in the store, they must have caused it even though there are no witnesses or evidence!), trumped up threats of 50

years in prison and then offer to plea down to a 1 year sentence with full probation. Many innocent people will take that “deal”

and admit guilt or plead “no contest” even if they didn’t commit a crime because they can’t accept the risk, no matter how

slight, of spending the rest of their lives in prison, especially for a crime they didn’t commit.

If they have seen public defenders in action, they know many of them are so incompetent, lazy, or unethical that they won’t even

bother to try a serious defense against a weak prosecution case. Thus the falsely accused may believe that a conviction with

probation is way better than exhausting one’s life savings on lawyers with no reimbursement possible even if they are sure they

would be able to prove their innocence. When you consider the full implications of fighting false criminal charges via an

expensive trial, it is clear why some people plead “no contest” or “confess” to a crime they didn’t do.