PubMed · 2003 · 111 citations · 25 references
Social SciencesPsychologySocial PsychologyChild DevelopmentFamily DevelopmentFamily StudiesChild Development In FamiliesDivorceFamily ConflictFamily ContextsParent-child RelationshipsParentingAlienation AllegationsChild Adjustment After DivorceChild Adjustment To DivorceChild Outcomes Of DivorceChildren's Adjustment To Parental SeparationDevelopmental Outcomes After DivorceParent-child Relationship AdjustmentParental Rejection
This study of family relationships after divorce examined the frequency and extent of child-parent alignments and correlates of children's rejection of a parent, these being basic components of the controversial idea of "parental alienation syndrome." The sample consisted of 215 children from the family courts and general community two to three years after parental separation. The findings indicate that children's attitudes toward their parents range from positive to negative, with relatively few being extremely aligned or rejecting. Rejection of a parent has multiple determinants, with both the aligned and rejected parents contributing to the problem, in addition to vulnerabilities within children themselves.
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