A/Prof Phil Watts
Adjunct Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology
University of Canberra
Private practice Perth
Time - line
1970’s
• Unholy Alliance
1980’s
• Parental Alienation Syndrome
1990’s
• Backlash on Syndrome
2000’s
• Tippy toes
Complex and complicated
Lawyers want to make alienation simple and
blame it on a parent.
 Excuse for abuse – When genuine abuse
exists then it is not alienation
 Lack of attachment – a child who did not
have a relationship in the past may not want
to see a parent
 Justified reactions of children

Survival of children in conflict
Kids in conflict
actions
Duck beneath
conflict
behaviour
Tell them
what they
want to
hear
Tell them
nothing
Tell it
how it
is
Take
sides
Stand
ground
Alignment
Types of Post-separation Relationships
Strong
attachment
to both
parents
•ALIGNED: Divorce-specific
reasons e.g. genuine anger of
how separation occurred
(affair) result in loyalty
conflict but not total
rejection. FP supports
relations with other parent
JUSTIFIED REJECTION
due to spousal
violence, emotional or
other abuse, inept
parenting
Affinity to one
parent;
attached to both
•AFFINITY: Preference for one
parent, but no rejection of other
• Age or gender-related reasons
Aligned with one
parent; contact
continues with other
Alienation - rejection
Justified
disproportionate to
Rejection
child’s actual experience
Alienation in Perspective, Bala, Perth
2012
ALIENATION:
Previously had
good relationship
with RP previously
•Without
alienating
behaviours of AP,
the child would
not have rejected
other parent
5
Some Outcomes for Children
Adults with a history of alienation from one parent
report
 Feelings of remorse
 Regret for lost opportunities- particularly when rejected parent has
since died
Suffer rates of depression, anger, anxiety,
relationships difficulties, substance abuse
 Report that they wish someone had intervened
and NOT listened to them as children
 Can be alienated from own children
 Have adult conflict with preferred parent

Baker, A. (2007). The Ties that Bind. New York: Norton.
Cases we are interested in today
When the evidence says the pre-existing
relationships were good
 When there is no evidence of actual abuse
(although allegations are not uncommon)
 The children’s views are extreme and lack
substance
 Evidence shows that the parent is displaying
behaviours which feeds the alignment
 Hybrid types of cases

Richard Warshak

If there is rejection, I look for various possible
contributing factors, including the rejected
parents' behaviour, and the child’s own
contributions. Most importantly, I try to
determine whether the child would be better
off remaining alienated from the parent, or
whether the children really would better off if
the relationship was repaired.
Solutions – Some things I have
been involved in (and failed!):Supervised visits
 Period contact
 Therapy for the parent
 Changed residence
 Family Therapy

Justice Margaret Cleary
 Jennifer Neoh
 Fiona Darroch
 Vincent Papaleo

A view from the bench
Justice Margaret Cleary
Case Study
Pinda Family
Dr Jennifer Neoh
Clinical Psychologist
66 Mount St
Heidelberg
VIC 3084
03 94581733
jennineoh1@bigpond.com
The first six months
Orders to see their mother 6 hours on an
unsupervised basis each week
Mandy and David
 Refused to speak to their mother
 Whispered between themselves
 Would not use a toilet
 Would not eat
 Sat facing a wall for six hours
The first six months

Mandy and David
 Spoke for each other
 Could not describe sensory experiences from





their own point of view
Each discussion of the allegations exposed the
irrational nature of it for them
Mandy able to see the illogicality her allegations
David confused when his sister softened
towards their mother
Mandy extremely controlling David's behaviour
Various incidents of conflict- initiated by children
Children's presentation in their
father's care
Repetition of their father's phrases
 The use of plural pronouns e.g. ‘She tried to

kill us’
Difficulty describing their own
perspective
 Intense, angry and belligerent
 Closed in
 Mandy -Physically stunted and
underweight

Children's presentation in their
Mother’s Care




Immediate physical growth
Direct eye contact
Normal sibling rivalry/ conflict
Capacity to make choices for themselvesMost evident in David
Indulging in normal behaviour
Decreased emphasis on evidence for their
father's case- e.g. photographs
 Resumed relationships with maternal
family members
 Resumed relationship with mother


Points from this case
A severe case
 Children’s outcomes vastly improved with a
change of residence


They had therapy to support them
Court that was prepared to change it’s
decisions on residence with new
information- So the importance of
reportable therapy
 The children now exude a sense of
freedom and liberty

Case Study
Peter’s family
Ms Fiona Darroch
Child Dispute Services
Family Court of Australia
GPO Box 991
Newcastle 2300
Fiona.Darroch@familycourt.gov.au
When things go wrong
and
Everything Else
Mr Vincent Papaleo
81 Denmark St
Kew 3101
03 9853 9022