Select a category below to view documents
(01) Jean Mercer & Margaret Drew, 2022This book, edited by Jean Mercer and Margaret Drew, has much misinformation regarding parental alienation theory. An analysis of the book was prepared by a committee of PASG members. |
(02) Sonia Vaccaro & Consuelo Barea, 2022This book by Vaccaro and Barea contains misinformation regarding parental alienation theory and "vicarious violence." This analysis was prepared by members of Global Action for Research Integrity in Parental Alienation (GARI-PA) and Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG). |
(03) Madelyn Milchman et al., 2020Madelyn Milchman, Robert Geffner, and Joan Meier published an article, "Ideology and rhetoric replace science and reason in some parental alienation literature and advocacy," in the Family Court Review. William Bernet published a rebuttal in the same issue of the journal. |
(04) Joan Meier et al., 2019Joan Meier, Sean Dickson, Chris O'Sullivan, Leora Rosen, and Jeffrey Hayes wrote an article, "Child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse allegations." Jennifer J. Harman and Demosthenes Lorandos published an analysis of the Meier et al. article, and also additional research on the same general topic. |
(05) Vincenzo Puppo, 2018Vincenzo Puppo published a letter to the editor, "Commentary on: An objective measure of splitting in parental alienation: The Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire," in Journal of Forensic Sciences. William Bernet published a response in the same issue of the journal. |
(06) Rebecca Thomas et al., 2015Rebecca Thomas and James Richardson published an article, "Parental alienation syndrome: 30 years on and still junk science," in The Judges' Journal. William Bernet published a rebuttal in the same issue of the journal. |
(07) Clemente et al., 2015Miguel Clemente and several other authors published an article, "Judicial decision-making in family law proceedings," in the American Journal of Family Law. Amy J. L. Baker, Linda Kase Gottlieb, and Maria Christina Verrocchio published a rebuttal in the same journal. |
(08) Clemente and Padilla-Racero, 2015Miguel Clemente and Dolores Padilla-Racero wrote an article, "Are children susceptible to manipulation?," for Children and Youth Services Review. William Bernet, Maria Christina Verrocchio, and Stanley Korosi published a rebuttal in the same journal. |
(09) Andrew Benjamin et al., 2009 – 2018William Bernet wrote an article, "Parental alienation and misinformation proliferation," for Family Court Review. The Bernet article discussed misinformation by various authors: a book by Andrew Benjamin et al.; a book by Christian Diesen et al.; a paper by Miguel Clemente et al.; a letter to the editor by Vincenso Puppo; and the proposal for a resolution by the United States House of Representatives. |
(1) Draft of Proposal, November 23, 2022This is the most recent draft of the proposal for parental alienation relational problem to be added to DSM-5-TR. |
(10) Carol Bruch, 2001Carol Bruch wrote an article, "Parental alienation syndrome and parental alienation: Getting it wrong in child custody cases," in Family Law Quarterly. Richard Gardner wrote a rebuttal, but the editor of the journal refused to publish it. However, Gardner's rebuttal has been available online. |
(11) Kathleen Faller, 1998Kathleen Faller wrote an article, "The parental alienation syndrome: What is it and what data support it?," in Child Maltreatment. Richard Gardner responded with a letter to the editor of that journal. |
(3) Appendix C – Books Regarding Parental AlienationThis appendix contains two documents, "One Hundred Important Books and Book Chapters Regarding Parental Alienation by Mental Health and Legal Professionals" and "Seventy Important Books Regarding Parental Alienation by Parents and for Parents." |
(5) Appendix E – Endorsements-OrganizationsApproximately 2,800 individuals and 100 groups and organizations have endorsed this proposal. |
Adams (2020), Blogs on Psychology TodayThis is a blog on the website of Psychology Today, which pertains to parental alienation and other psychology topics. The author is PASG member, Dr. Christine Adams. |
Baker (2018), Reliability and Validity of the Four-Factor Model of Parental AlienationThis article was published in the Journal of Family Therapy. The author said, "The four-factor model of parental alienation can be used to differentiate alienated from estranged children." |
Bernet (2018, 2020), Parental Acceptance-Rejection QuestionnaireAbstracts of two articles: "An Objective Measure of Splitting in Parental Alienation: The Parental Alienation-Rejection Questionnaire" and "Measuring the Difference between Parental Alienation and Parental Estrangement: The PARQ-Gap." |
Bernet (2020), Chapter 1 of Parental Alienation — Science and LawThis is Chapter 1 of Parental Alienation -- Science and Law, edited by Lorandos and Bernet. This chapter gives an overview of parental alienation theory. |
Bernet (2020), Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental AlienationThe five factors are: contact refusal by the child; previous good relationship; lack of abuse; alienating behaviors by the favored parent; and behavioral signs of alienation in the child. |
Bernet (2020), Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental Alienation (Russian)The paper regarding the Five-Factor Model published in the journal, Feedback, was translated into Russian. |
Bernet (2020), Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental Alienation (Ukrainian)The paper regarding the Five-Factor Model published in the journal, Feedback, was translated into Ukrainian. |
Bernet (2020), Psychological Tests for Parental AlienationHere are ten psychological tests that might be helpful in conducting assessments involving possible parental alienation. |
Bernet et al. (2021), Quantitative Research Regarding Parental AlienationThis bibliography pertains to quantitative research regarding parental alienation. The references are arranged by topic and are annotated. |
Boch-Galhau (2020), Induced Parental Alienation — A Serious Form of Child Psychological AbusePASG member Wilfrid von Boch-Galhau prepared this presentation for a conference in Zagreb, Croatia, organized by the European Association of Parental Alienation Practitioners. |
Cameron, Willbourne, and Wright (2020), Early Interventions Pathway: Parental Separation and ChildrenThis article describes a method for early intervention in cases of parental alienation, which has been proposed in the United Kingdom. This article was first published in Family Law and is reproduced with permission. |
Cedervall (2021), Parental Alienation in Peer-Reviewed JournalsThis is a list of peer-reviewed journals -- from several countries -- that have published articles regarding parental alienation or a closely related topic. |
Child and Marcus (2020), PASG Prevention Project: A Preliminary ReportDr. Nick Child (Scotland) and Judge Philip Marcus (Israel) launched a project to study opportunities for the prevention of parental alienation. This is their preliminary report of that project. |
Child and Marcus (2020), PASG Prevention Project: Building PreventionThis is the second installment of the discussion of the "PASG Prevention Project." Nick Child is a retired child psychiatrist; Philip Marcus is a retired judge. |
Dijkstra (2019), “I did not see my daughters for years.” The Impact of Coercive Control on Post-Divorce Relationships between Mothers and ChildrenThis material was presented at the II European Conference on Domestic Violence, which occurred during September 6-9, 2017. The author addressed the continuing tactic of coercive control, through which one parent reorients their children’s view of the other parent to sabotage their parent-child relationship. This article was posted on the PASG website with the permission of the author, Sietske Dijkstra. |
Dum (2013, 2020), Parental Alienation and the European Court of Human RightsIn this chapter excerpt, PASG member Christian Dum summarizes cases pertaining to parental alienation that were heard by the European Court of Human Rights. |
Erel, 2020, Parental Alienation as a Medical EmergencyPASG member Dalia Erel explains that parental alienation resembles a medical crisis rather than a divorce proceeding. Triage is essential. |
FAQ (1) – What is parental alienation?Here are some general definitions and descriptions of parental alienation. |
FAQ (2) – How do you know it is parental alienation?The Five-Factor Model helps to distinguish parental alienation and parental estrangement. |
FAQ (3) – What are alienating behaviors?There are 17 common alienating behaviors. |
FAQ (4) – How does an alienated child behave?There are 8 common behavioral symptoms of parental alienation. |
FAQ (5) – What about “listen to the child”?Severely alienated children do not give reliable explanations of their feelings and opinions. |
FAQ (6) – Is parental alienation child abuse?Yes, mental health and legal authorities everywhere consider causing severe parental alienation to be a form of child psychological abuse. |
FAQ (7) – What about DSM-5 and parental alienation?The concept of parental alienation is in DSM-5, but not the actual words. |
FAQ (8) – Is an alienated child mentally kidnapped?Yes, the alienated child is mentally kidnapped and brainwashed. |
Goetsch (2018), The Windmill AttackThe author explains that the "windmill attack" is a swindle involving three parties: a dvorcing spouse (who uses accusations to win sympathy); a lawyer (who turns sham litigation into money); and a social worker (who turns a forensic report into sole custody). The trigger spouse wins control, money, and revenge. The target spouse loses their children, freedom, and reputation. |
Heitler (2018), What is Parental Alienation Syndrome?PASG member Susan Heitler wrote this article for her blog on the Psychology Today website. |
Important Books Regarding Parental AlienationThis document lists almost 200 books or book chapters that relate to parental alienation theory. Some were written by mental health or legal professionals and intended for other professionals. Some of the books were written by or for alienated parents and grandparents. |
Important Books Regarding Parental Alienation, 2023This document includes almost 200 books and book chapters regarding parental alienation. The first part of the list are books by mental health and legal professionals, primarily intended for other professionals. The second part of the list are primarily books written by alienated parents and adult children of parental alienation. |
Interventions — Harman (2022), Description of Turning Points for Families Program and Outcome StudyAbstract of "Evaluation of the Turning Points for Families (TPFF) Program for Severely Alienated Children. |
Interventions — Reay (2015), Description of Family Reflections and Outcome StudyAbstract of "Family Reflections: A Promising Therapeutic Program Designed to Treat Severely Alienated Children and Their Family System |
Interventions — Warshak (2010, 2019), Description of Family Bridges and Outcome StudiesAbstracts of two articles: "Family Bridges: Using Insights from Social Science to Reconnect Parents and Alienated Children" and "Reclaiming Parent-Child Relationships: Outcomes of Family Bridges with Alienated Children." |
Introduction to PASGRead basic information about Parental Alienation Study Group. |
Joshi (2016), Parental Alienation: RemediesThis article, written by PASG member Ashish Joshi, recommends interventions for parental alienation. The article focuses on several myths regarding parental alienation that frequently come up in legal settings. |
Joshi (2016), Parental Alienation: The ProblemThis article, written by PASG member Ashish Joshi, provides a broad overview of parental alienation and related topics. Although it is primarily directed at legal professionals, it is good reading for the general public. |
Kehrer (2019), Two PA Petitions Submitted to German ParliamentPetitions encourage the Parliament to make individuals who induce parental alienation subject to criminal penalties. |
Lee-Maturana, Matthewson, and Dwan (2020), Targeted Parents Surviving Parental Alienation: Consequences of the Alienation and Coping StrategiesThis research addresses how parental alienation affects targeted parents, and how they cope with this condition. |
Lorandos and Bernet (2020), Parental Alienation – Science and LawThis is the most comprehensive book currently available regarding the scientific and legal aspects of parental alienation. This book features the Five-Factor Model for the identification of parental alienation. |
Ludmer (2019), The Case Against Children’s CounselIn cases of parental alienation, appointing an attorney for the child is fraught with danger. |
Misinformation — Bernet (2020), Misinformation ProliferationReprint of "Parental Alienation and Misinformation Proliferation." |
Misinformation — Bernet and Xu (2022), Scholarly RumorsReprint of "Scholarly Rumors: Citation Analysis of Vast Misinformation regarding Parental Alienation Theory. |
Morgan et al., 2020, The Clinical and Legal Management of Parental Alienation in the United KingdomA grant from PASG funded this research project by Dr. Angela Morgan, Dr. Nahid Ahmad, and Marilyn Webster |
Myths and Truths about PAThere is vast misinformation regarding parental alienation theory in journal articles, chapters, and books. |
Online Education Regarding Parental AlienationParental Alienation Study Group provides opportunities for online education regarding parental alienation. |
Parental Alienation and Family ViolenceIndoctrinating a child to dislike or fear a loving parent is a form of domestic violence. |
Parental Alienation for EducatorsThis flyer is intended to help teachers, school counselors, administrators, (and parents) understand parental alienation. |
Parental Alienation is RealRead basic information about parental alienation and the underlying scientific research. |
Parental Alienation Videos on YouTubeThere are hundreds of videos regarding parental alienation on YouTube. |
PASG 2017, Washington, DC, USA – Program BookThis is the program book for PASG 2017, which occurred in Washington, DC, USA, in October 2017. |
PASG 2018, Stockholm – Program BookThis is the program book for PASG 2018, which occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, during August 2018. |
PASG 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – Program BookThis is the program book for PASG 2019, which occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, in September 2019. |
PASG Members (March 2023)Parental Alienation Study Group has about 950 members from 65 countries. This List of PASG Members includes brief biographies, the person's interest in parental alienation, and contact information. |
PASG Membership (2023)PASG has almost 1,000 members from 65 countries. |
PASG Videos on YouTube ChannelParental Alienation Study Group has its own YouTube Channel. |
Research — Top 100 Peer-Reviewed ArticlesThis document lists 100 important articles regarding parental alienation research, which were published in peer-reviewed journals. |
Research — Top 20 Peer-Reviewed Articles, AnnotatedThis document lists 20 important articles, annotated, regarding parental alienation research, which were published in peer-reviewed journals. |
United Nations, 2022This document was sent to the U.N. Office on Human Rights, in response to their request for input regarding parental alienation. |
Videos from PASG and the Law CenterPASG members and the Law Center have created several videos regarding parental alienation. |
Warshak (2010, 2019), Description of Family Bridges and Outcome StudiesAbstracts of two articles: "Family Bridges: Using Insights from Social Science to Reconnect Parents and Alienated Children" and "Reclaiming Parent-Child Relationships: Outcomes of Family Bridges with Alienated Children." |
Warshak (2020), Avoiding False PositivesAbstract of article, "When Evaluators Get It Wrong: False Positive IDs and Parental Alienation." |
What is Parental Alienation Awareness Day?See what happens every year on April 25. |
Whitcombe (2017), Parental Alienation or Justifiable Estrangement? Assessing a Child’s Resistance to a Parent in the U.K.This is an overview of parental alienation, with many references, prepared by Dr. Sue Whitcombe, a psychologist in the United Kingdom. |