Signs of Parental Alienation

Parental alienation occurs when a parent manipulates and brainwashes a child in order to destroy the loving relationship the child has with her other parent. This syndrome is actually classified as a psychological condition that is seen in children who are affected by their parents' high-conflict separation or divorce, says the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization (PAAO). There are certain signs of parental alienation to look out for. Recognizing these signs can help to prevent the long-term effects of this syndrome, which can have lifelong consequences.

Visitation Signs

• One of the main signs of parental alienation is getting back at the other parent by setting a rigid visitation schedule. One parent may “rescue” the child when the child is visiting the other parent without any danger being present, says the PAAO. Other signs associated with visitation include a parent making the child feel guilty if he has fun while visiting the other parent, a parent letting the child decide whether he wants to visit the other parent, a parent not allowing agreed-upon or court-ordered visitation or a parent intentionally providing temptations to try to get the child not to visit the other parent.

Child Signs

• The child may also exhibit certain signs of parental alienation. The child may see one parent as causing the other parent's financial problems. The child may seem to know the details of the separation or divorce, says the PAAO. Other signs the child may exhibit include a sudden attitude change toward one parent, being abnormally belligerent or rude toward one parent or seeming uneasy around one parent.

Parent-to-Parent Signs

• One parent may speak badly about the other parent or undermine the other parent in front of the child, according to the PAAO. Other parent-to-parent signs include one parent discussing with the child why the marriage failed, one parent blaming the other parent in front of the child for lifestyle changes, lack of money and other issues or one parent falsely accusing the other parent of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and other illegal activities.

Other Signs

• One parent may remind the child why she is angry at the other parent and tell the child her reasons are valid or ask the child about the other parent's life, says the PAAO. Other signs include not allowing the other parent to see the child's school records, medical records or extracurricular activity records and stating that the other parent is dangerous for the child to be around without a good reason for doing so.