What is Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)?
This is the definition of PAS as described by
R.A. Gardner who discovered the syndrome and has become an expert in dealing with the issue.
Gardner's definition of PAS is:
"The parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a disorder that arises primarily in the context
of child-custody disputes. Its primary manifestation is the child's campaign of denigration
against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of
a programming (brainwashing) parent's indoctrinations and the child's own contributions to
the vilification of the target parent."
(Excerpted from: Gardner, R.A. (1998). The Parental Alienation Syndrome, Second Edition,
Cresskill, NJ: Creative Therapeutics, Inc.)
Basically, this means that through verbal and non verbal thoughts, actions and mannerisms, a child is emotionally abused
(brainwashed) into thinking the other parent is the enemy. This ranges from bad mouthing the other parent infront of the children,
to withholding visits, to pre-arranging the activities for the children while visiting with the other parent.
Parental Alienation Syndrome, or PAS for short, is the programming of children against one of the parents.
This means that through verbal and non verbal thoughts, actions and mannerisms, a child is emotionally abused
(brainwashed) into thinking the other parent is the enemy. This ranges from bad mouthing the other parent infront of the children,
to withholding visits, to pre-arranging the activities for the children while visiting with the other parent.
Learning and understanding the Symptoms
and Risk Factors of
Parental Alienation Syndrome may possibly allow the parent to take measures to reduce the alienation.
The three stages of Pas:
Children who are victims of PAS often go through different
Stages as they experience the depth of the alienation.
Stage 1 - Mild
With the mild PAS parent, they may on the surface encourage involvement with the other parent, but their behavior typically
tries to give them a perceived advantage to the child as in I’m better then him or her.
Stage 2 - Moderate
In the moderate PAS situation, the alienating parent will clearly interfere with the visitation of the other parent but on the surface
support the other parent’s involvement.
Stage 3 - Severe
Finally, the severe PAS the children are brainwashed (Dr. Gardner stays away from that term), programmed and redirected away
from a parent they typically had a relationship with before.
With PAS there are three types of alienators:
The Alienators sometimes do not realise that they are causing damage, but sometimes the alienator
is acting in all out war.
› The Naive Alienator
mean well and recognize the importance of the children having a healthy relationship with the
other parent.
› The Active Alienator
is usually found returning to court over problems with visitation. These parents also mean well
but they have a problem controlling their frustration, bitterness
or hurt.
› The Obsessed Alienator
is a parent, or sometimes a grandparent, with a cause: to destroy their relationship with the
targeted parent.
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