Here's how parental alienation can ruin family dynamics

Parental alienation can lead to the ruin of family dynamics, study states. For those uninitiated, parental alienation is referred to a process through which a child becomes estranged from a parent as the result of the psychological manipulation of another parent. This eventually leads to the child rejecting the parent later on. Lead researcher Jennifer Harman presented new research which shows that men and women use slightly different tactics when it comes to engaging in this behaviour.

Her research was able to figure out certain gender differences in alienating behaviours. Some direct examples include: one parent hitting the targeted parent at child exchange time, one parent blocking child time with the other parent, sending out hostile emails and texts, making unilateral decisions about the child, not letting other parent get in touch with the child.

Indirect examples of alienating can include - manipulating the child against one parent by badmouthing them, manipulating family and friends against parent by badmouthing, making up false stories to get the other parent arrested or framed and even striking off one partner's name from school and other places where their name is written down as that of a biological parent.

Because of such behaviours, the child's relationship with the other parent is destroyed and the child begins to think of the parent as a perpetrator. “Indirect behaviours are more circuitous,” Harman said. “Alienators lie to manipulate, spread rumours and make false claims.”