Parental Alienation Syndrome

A Compassionate Yet Aggressive Chicago Divorce Attorney Who Understands the Importance of a Child Having 2 Loving Parents.

A healthy child needs both of her parent’s in her life. Children need mom and dad to get along and to be supportive of the child’s relationship with the other parent. If you are involved in a custody dispute and believe that your spouse is brainwashing your child, contact an experienced Chicago divorce attorney at Taradash Given, P.C. today.

Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is the concept of one parent attempting to separate his/her child from the other parent. PAS is common when one parent wants to punish the other parent, particularly in a contested child custody case. In a nutshell, one parent attempts to alienate the child from the other parent in a child custody dispute.

Child psychiatrist, Richard A. Gardner, first coined the term in the mid 1980’s. He describes PAS as a disorder in which a child insults and belittles one parent without justification. The most common factor is indoctrination by the other parent (as stated above, this is particularly prevalent in contested custody cases). One parent will attempt to brainwash their child by telling him that the other parent doesn’t love them, is a danger to them and/or is a bad parent.

According to Dr. Gardner, 8 symptoms will appear in a child being brainwashed by a parent: hatred towards the parent being alienated; a lack of rationalization for this hatred; lack of ambivalence towards the parent being targeted; strong belief that their decision to shun the other parent is their decision alone; an automatic support for the “favored” parent in a dispute; absence of guilt over the treatment of the targeted parent; parroting phrases and thoughts of the alienating parent; and extending the denigration and hatred towards the targeted parent’s extended family.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, women are more likely than men to be alienators. This can be devastating to not only fathers, but also to children. A father’s role is critical not only to the father, but especially to the health of his children. There is ample evidence that children who are raised without fathers in their lives tend to succeed less than those who have loving, involved fathers.

The following is a short list of facts which deals with children who do not have their father’s in their lives:

1. Fatherless children are more likely to abuse alcohol and at an earlier age.
2. Children who do not live with their fathers are 2-3 times more like to be poor and abuse drugs.
3. Fatherless children are 2-3 times more likely to be victims of abuse.
4. Children who do not have their fathers are at dramatically greater risk to commit suicide.
5. Children who DO have their fathers in their lives are more likely to achieve success in school and exhibit normal and healthy social behaviors.

If you fear that your child is being brainwashed by your spouse, contact Taradash Given, P.C. for a free, no hassle consultation. Our skilled attorneys understand the difficulties and frustrations that can arise during a custody dispute. Our divorce and family law attorneys are well versed in Illinois family and divorce law, and can competently represent you in your pursuit to be an integral part of your child’s life. Taradash Given, P.C. serves clients in and around Chicago, including DuPage, Will, and Lake Counties. Contact us online, or call (312) 775-1020 to speak to an experienced attorney today.