1

Annotated Bibliography: Parental Alienation

Marina Morrison

Research Methodology

Prof. Pease

October 21, 2021

 2

Harman, J. J., Lorandos, D., Biringen, Z., & Grubb, C. (2020). Gender Differences in the Use of

Parental Alienating Behaviors. Journal of Family Violence, 35(5), 459–469. https://doi-

org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00097-5

This study's purpose is to examine parental alienation, which is an explicit form of

violence. The study identifies parents who isolate their kids from other parents exploit both

direct and indirect forms of hostility. More specifically, this study aims to understand if there are

any gender differences in using these hostile behaviors among the parents of alienated children.

The study utilizes two samples of parents who are the potential targets of parental isolation

activities and the family law appellate court ruling, the founder of the parental alienation. The

two samples and interviewed to get their views on the matter. Owing to the past research that

indicated that females have a higher tendency to use indirect forms of hostility than direct ones,

the study, therefore, hypothesized that mothers would be more likely to utilize direct alienation

behaviors than fathers would use. Another hypothesis for the study is that fathers would more

likely use direct behavioral forms of parental isolation than indirect.

This research defines aggression as habits that intend to hurt another individual and are in

the form of physical and verbal, which include direct forms of aggression. Among the physical

and verbal forms of aggression identified in the research include physical intimidations and

assaults. On the contrary, indirect hostility includes twisted approaches aimed at hurting

someone and lowering their self-esteem, including badmouthing social isolation. On the other

hand, parental alienation is defined as the state in which a child refuses to relate with another

parent for some reason. It results from the behaviors of the child's favorite parent aimed to

distance the parent from the other parent.

 3

The separate parents and not those who think they are alienated were identified using different

media sources such as Facebook and used as the sample for the study. Among the interviewees

are 79 parents comprising 50 fathers and 29 mothers; however, 9 of the sample did not manage a

successful interview. The successful interviewee ages ranged between 29 and 50, with an annual

household income ranging from $60 to $80.

The common interview questions revolved around each parent's behaviors to isolate their

kids from the other parent. This research employed quantitative research methods, which ensured

the interviews reached a point of saturation and ensured all parents had provided all the

necessary information.

The study found that mothers used more indirect forms of isolation behaviors, but there

was no evidence for fathers' use of direct forms (Harman, 2020). Also, both direct and indirect

behaviors negatively impacted the child's perception of the target parents. For instance, physical

attack of the parent and assault made children ashamed of the attacked parent, thus growing apart

from them. These studies suggest further researches to identify the relationship of the different

aggression behaviors with child's age and their mental wellbeing. The research is useful for

understanding how gender influences behaviors used in the parental alienation process.
 4

J. L. Baker, A. (2020). Reliability and validity of the four‐factor model of parental

alienation. Journal of Family Therapy, 42(1), 100–118. https://doi-

org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12253

The article recognizes the four-factor model of parental alienation, which states alienation

only occurs in the isolated parent and the child earlier had a positive relationship, the isolated

parent should not have mistreated the affected child, the child should manifest behaviors

indicating alienation, and finally, there should be evidence of use of behaviors that lead to

alienation by the favored parent (Baker, 2020). Therefore, this study aims to identify how valid

and reliable this model is in parent alienation. To prove the validity and reliability of the model,

the study performs vignettes done by the mental experts.

According to the fast factor, if a parent had a positive relationship before alienation, there

is enough proof that the rejected parent was too absent from bonding with the child, thus

encouraging alienation. On the other hand, the second factor reduces the number of parents who

have been involved in the behaviors that are not part of a child's rejection from claiming they are

victims of parental alienation. For a child to be considered alienated, they must have experienced

the behaviors that contribute to isolation from the favored parents. Many types of research have

tried to prove the validity of this model; however, despite its strength, then no research examines

all four factors simultaneously (Baker, 2020). This study, therefore, studied all the factors all

together to solve the issues of unfairness on parental alienation.

Emails were sent to each of the participants who coded only one vignette. 1ixteen

vignettes were created, each describing a family. For an ideal coding, codes were assigned for

each of the four factors in the model for each of the 16 vignettes. The study results support the

factors presented in the model as reliable and valid in proving parental isolation. This study is
 5

useful to the individual seeking to understand how parental alienation occurs and if the four-

factor model is useful in identifying cases of parental isolation.

 6

Meier, J. S. (2020). U.S. child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse

allegations: what do the data show? Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, 42(1), 92–

105. https://doi-org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1080/09649069.2020.1701941

The violence professionals have declared that courts concerned with child custody often

deny real complaints of child abuse. These courts tend to impose punishments on parents

declaring cases of domestic violence and physical abuse of children. It is alleged that these courts

are less interested in mothers claiming their children are abused by their male parents (Meier,

2020). For this reason, therefore, many children are forced to live with their abusive male

parents, thus suffering in their presence. Some of these children at times end up killed by these

violent parents because of the reluctant nature of the courts. These courts criticize mothers of

parental alienation, thus reluctant due to the increased cases; thus, they become less interested in

their cases. However, there is no proof that these courts truly refuse the true mothers' claims of

childhood abuse by their fathers, the extent to which parental alienation is the cause of such court

treatment, and whether gender prejudice affects such underlying forces.

Therefore, this study obtains objective data on whatever is happening in the family

courts, which pushes the researchers of the study to obtain neutral data that speak for the public

and get to know the reality of the matter. The study realized that much of the previous studies

scrutinized the results from the non-protective custody with cases involving home violence in

specific powers (Meier, 2020). However, no research has f focused on how the courts have

responded to child abuse claims or the national view of the same. Thus, this study seeks to

provide a world view and determine if the reported challenges from the previous local research

are universal. Also, it intends to collect more information on child abuse and home violence

effects.
 7

Owing to the presence of thousands of family courts in America, the best way that the

study would gather information was through the use of the judicial opinions available online.

During this research, there were many posted judicial opinions which included numerous trial

court opinions. The research findings show that many of the United States courts reserved cases

of alienation. It was confirmed that most of these courts sent children back to abusive parents

despite the claims of their aggressiveness being reported. This research is important to those

seeking to understand the court's proceedings on the cases regarding parental alienation.
 8

Giancarlo, C., & Rottmann, K. (2015). Kids Come Last: The Effect of Family Law Involvement

in Parental Alienation. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: Annual

Review, 9, 27–42.

https://doi-org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.18848/1833-1882/CGP/v09/53552e

The authors of this research aim to understand how effective family law involvement is in

solving parental alienation and what factors influence the results of such cases. The participants

of the research include 28 individuals residing in British Colombia and Alberta. All the

participants are estranged parents and grandparents. According to this study, parental alienation

is a teen's strong attachment to one parent while denying the other without any real explanation,

as defined by psychiatric William Bernet. The favored parent behaviors contribute to these

alienations, be it indirect or direct. The major strategy involved in this form of alienation is a

withdrawal of love from the child if they show affection for the target parent (Giancarlo &

Rottmann, 2015). The research reveals that the alienated parents would be either male or female,

contrary to the previous research, which indicates that fathers are the major targets of alienation

and mothers' behaviors contributing most to the case.

Various risk factors and indicators are identified related to parental alienation, including a

child's involvement in parental disputes and parental mental health. Age also affects parental

alienation in that these cases start in the preadolescent phase of children. As presented in the

article, the family laws act approves that when dealing with children's welfare after the parents'

separation, a child's best interest is always a priority.

The research methodology required all eligible participants to have had a positive

relationship with their children before the divorce. The interview questions were designed to

answer questions about the relationships between the child and the alienated parent and how they
 9

decided to take a legal intervention. It affected their future relationships with the kid and the

treatments they received from the court, among others. The study revealed that legal involvement

resulted in an increase in the chosen parent's tactics in trying to distance the child from the other

parent. Also, the alienation had a significant effect on the mental health of the targeted parent.

Furthermore, isolated parents suffer child loss making the child develop hatred toward the parent

due to parental alienation syndrome.

 10

References

Giancarlo, C., & Rottmann, K. (2015). Kids Come Last: The Effect of Family Law Involvement

in Parental Alienation. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: Annual

Review, 9, 27–42.

https://doi-org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.18848/1833-1882/CGP/v09/53552e

Harman, J. J., Lorandos, D., Biringen, Z., & Grubb, C. (2020). Gender Differences in the Use of

Parental Alienating Behaviors. Journal of Family Violence, 35(5), 459–469. https://doi-

org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00097-5

J. L. Baker, A. (2020). Reliability and validity of the four‐factor model of parental

alienation. Journal of Family Therapy, 42(1), 100–118. https://doi-

org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12253

Meier, J. S. (2020). U.S. child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse

allegations: what do the data show? Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, 42(1), 92–

105. https://doi-org.ezproxystcc.helmlib.org/10.1080/09649069.2020.1701941