Pages tagged with PAS
Publication
Parental Alienation: A Rational Approach
NY State Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence Newsletter, June 1, 2009
The fact that divorcing parents often badmouth each other to the children can not justify the damage done to abused and endangered children by PAS and PA accusations. A more rational and fair approach to the claim of PA is presented. More
Publication : Master's Thesis
Disciplining Divorcing Parents: The Social Construction of Parental Alienation Syndrome
Department of Sociology, Queen's University, September 1, 2008
This thesis explores the development of the concepts of “parental alienation syndrome” and “false allegations” in the context of custody and access, as ‘social problems’. It analyzes the course of these concepts through an historical account of Canada’s divorce arena and recent changes to custody and access law, analyzing the reasoning and motives of the major claimsmakers: the Fathers’ Right Movement, medical experts, the legal arena and the counter-claims of Feminist activists. It examines the role of the supervised access facilitator in the construction of the concepts as ‘social problems’. The theories of psychiatrist Richard Gardner are examined in particular, due to their pivotal role in the advancement of the claimsmakers’ goals. Finally, empirical studies are reviewed and analyzed, demonstrating how the concepts of “parental alienation syndrome” and “false allegations” have mutated and permeated the domain of divorce and access in Western society. More
Presentation
Parental Alienation Syndrome in Family Courts
Presented at the Child Sexual Abuse: Justice Response or Alternative Resolution Conference, May 1, 2003
The question of allegations of sexual abuse in Family Law cases is a complex issue. It is becoming increasingly common to see Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) invoked as an explanation for such allegations, with the implication that the allegations are false. This presentation will review some of the literature on both issues - false allegations and PAS – in the context of Family Law disputes. It will examine the concept of PAS and will suggest that it has neither validity nor utility.
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News Article
La Jolla Mom Says She Kidnapped Daughter To Protect Her
KGTV 10 News, April 23, 2009
When the family court gave overnight visits to the father, despite his known use of child pornography, Joyce Murphy took her daughter and ran. "I thought, either I go to jail or I protect my child." Murphy and her daughter were caught, the mother jailed; the daughter returned to the father's custody. Now, six years later, Murphy's ex-husband is behind bars after molesting 3 other young girls. Murphy feels vindicated, but it's bittersweet. "I blame the entire family court system," she said, "because they are not held accountable." More
News Article
Several bills seek to reform family courts
Capitol Weekly, February 12, 2009
Democratic lawmakers are crafting a package of bills to reform family courts in California. One Assemblymember is seeking an audit of the family court system, while another has submitted a bill that would limit the types of testimony that can be used in custody proceedings. Several other Democratic legislators are currently evaluating whether to introduce bills addressing other facets of the family courts.
MoreNews Article
Shooting the Messenger In Child Abuse Cases
Connecticut Law Tribune, August 25, 2008
In a story headlined "Mom Gets Daughter, Dad Gets $3.5 Million" (July 14, 2008), the Connecticut Law Tribune reported on the "malicious prosecution" case brought by a father against his child's mother, seeking damages for what he claims was her malicious allegation that he sexually abused his daughter. More
News Article
Girl, Interrupted
San Francisco Weekly, December 18, 2002
Alanna Krause believes that much of her hellish childhood could have been avoided. Now she's suing her father, her therapist, and her lawyer in an effort to prove it. How did it come to this? More
Press Release
Legal Community Rejects Parental Alienation Syndrome
The Leadership Council On Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence, July 12, 2006
Two recent high profile legal publications have rejected “Parental Alienation Syndrome” (PAS), a controversial label often used to discredit allegations of child abuse or domestic violence in family courts. According to PAS theory, children's disclosures of abuse by one parent are reinterpreted as evidence of “brainwashing” by the other parent. The solution proposed by PAS theory is to immediately award custody to the alleged child abuser. More
Information and Analysis
The Truth About Parental Alienation
February 23, 2007
Proponents of Parental Alienation portray parental alienation as a destructive family dynamic, usually manifesting during custody battles, in which one parent purportedly turns the child’s sentiments against the other parent. Failure to recognize and correct this dynamic by ensuring that the child has a relationship with both parents, they claim, will cause great harm to the child. Indeed, nothing can be further from the truth. Parental Alienation is a discredited, pseudo-psychological theory whose application in custody determinations has caused great harm to children. More