Legal Definitions - parent-alienation syndrome

Parent-alienation syndrome is a situation where one parent manipulates a child to fear or hate the other parent. It is a condition that results from a parent's actions that are designed to poison a child's relationship with the other parent. Some mental-health specialists do not consider this phenomenon as a psychological syndrome. It is also known as parental-alienation syndrome.

• A mother tells her child that their father is a bad person and does not love them. She may also prevent the child from seeing their father or talking to him on the phone.
• A father tells his child that their mother is a liar and does not care about them. He may also make false accusations against the mother to turn the child against her.

These examples illustrate how one parent can manipulate a child's emotions and thoughts towards the other parent. The child may start to believe that the other parent is not trustworthy or does not love them. This can cause long-term damage to the child's relationship with both parents and their mental health.