What is Parental Alienation?

The term, "Parental Alienation" is usually used in the context of divorce and custody matters, and refers to the psychological manipulation of a child towards the other parent. Parental alienation often occurs during an acrimonious divorce when one parent begins to voice their displeasure about and distain for the other parent. Negative comments about the other parent can become highly destructive to the relationship between the child and the targeted parent. If left unchecked, parental alienation may have a lifelong and highly negative impact on the child's relationship with both parents and the relationships they attempt to create in the future.