Unintentional State Enforced Parental Alienation Syndrome During the Hard Lockdown in South Africa

This article examines the construct of parental alienation syndrome, while also examining the impact that the South African lockdown had upon this construct. The goal of this article is to highlight the potential indirect psychological impacts of such legislation on non-cohabiting families.

EGMR anerkennt «Parental Alienation»

Mit Urteil vom 29. Oktober 2019 verpflichtete der EGMR die Republik Moldawien zur Entrichtung einer hohen Genugtuung an eine Mutter von drei Söhnen. Die staatlichen Kinderschutzbehörden und Gerichte hatten es versäumt, in der gebotenen Eile und Dringlichkeit die notwendigen Massnahmen zu ergreifen, um die von der Mutter monierte und durch das Verhalten ihres Vaters induzierte Entfremdung der Kinder von ihr, welche durch Psychologen dokumentiert ist, abzuwenden. Der EGMR anerkannte damit induzierte Eltern-Kind-Entfremdung («parental alienation»), dass es «alienierte Kinder» («alienated children») gibt und bezeichnete die auf Entfremdung abzielenden Handlungen des Vaters («alienating behavior») als emotionalen Missbrauch der Kinder. Der Beitrag zeigt den Stand der Fachdiskussion zu «parental alienation» und dem sog. «parental alienation syndrome» auf und würdigt die Bedeutung des Urteils für den künftigen fachlichen Umgang mit Entfremdungsvorwürfen.

Parental Alienation Syndrome (Focus on Management)

Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is a process in which one parent (Aligned Parent) teaches his children to reject or antago- nize other parents (Rejected Parent) which results in disruption to the relationship between children and parents. PAS can be a central issue in child custody disputes and is a form of emotional abuse to children that can disrupt the process of growth and development of children and cause mental disorders in the children's future. Although there are differences of opinion about PAS, the impact can already be seen in children who are in the PAS situation. In severe PAS conditions, disorders in children can occur in the dimensions of behavior, emotions, and cognitive. In the long run, someone who has been exposed to PAS in childhood has a greater likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, and decreased quality of life in the future. Given the mag- nitude of the impact caused by PAS, it is necessary to do the management carried out simultaneously by mental health practition- ers, legal professionals and the court. Therapeutic interventions that can be carried out include Multi Model Family Intervention (MMFI), Family Reflections Reunification Program (FRRP), Overcoming Barriers Family Camp (OBFC), Parallel Group Ther- apy, and Family Bridges Workshop. There is no conclusion which intervention is the best. Ultimately, the goal of family therapy is to achieve and maintain healthy parent-child relationships.