Frisco Divorce Lawyers

Parental Alienation Syndrome

Divorce can be a difficult experience, particularly when the custody of a child is involved. Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is a disorder that frequently comes from child custody disputes where a child is emotionally abused into thinking the other parent is an enemy. This negativity can be painful for all parties involved in the already upsetting divorce process.

If you are considering a divorce and would like to learn more about child custody, please contact the Frisco child custody lawyers of Alexander & Associates at 972-420-6570 today.

Stages of Parental Alienation Syndrome

There are three stages that kids can go through when they are victims of PAS:

• Mild: In mild cases of PAS the parental programming is minor. Contact with the targeted parent is not significantly affected and can be maintained with limited disagreement or discomfort from the child. This stage is difficult to detect. The inducing parent can subtly or subconsciously instill distaste for the other parent through activities such as remarrying, a lack of encouragement for interaction between the child and the other parent, and other related behaviors.
• Moderate: In moderate cases of PAS the inducing parent is significantly programming the child, resulting in more serious problems at the time of contact with the other parent. However, once the child spends some time with the targeted parent their anxiety usually disperses. This inducing of PAS is done consciously by the parent through behavior such as refusing to communicate with the targeted parent or disrespecting the targeted parent in front of the child.
• Severe: In severe PAS the child actively and often obsessively hates the targeted parent. The inducing parent is often less directly involved at this stage but still steps in if a reconciliation with the other parent seems possible. At this point the child can refuse contact, make false accusations of mistreatment, and make threats for physical harm to self or to the parent if contact is forced.

Contact Us

If you are going through a divorce and have questions about custody, contact the Frisco divorce lawyers of Alexander & Associates at 972-420-6570 today.