Challenging Parental Alienation

Jean Mercer is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stockton University in New Jersey, USA. She is a developmental psychologist with concerns about potentially harmful therapies that are used for children, including "holding therapy" and other coercive methods. She has published a number of articles critiquing theory and research on parental alienation allegations in child custody cases. Margaret Drew is an Associate Professor of Law who teaches at the University of Massachusetts School of Law, USA, and has represented domestic abuse survivors in trial and appellate courts. Professor Drew’s scholarship has focused primarily on intimate partner abuse and its impact on vulnerable populations. Some areas of interest are lawyer malpractice in domestic violence cases, the vulnerability of people living with HIV, the use of Collaborative Law in domestic violence cases, and bringing a human rights framework to legal remedies for survivors of abuse.

• 1 Introduction to Parental Alienation Concepts and Practices. Part 1: When a Child Avoids a Parent: Understanding the Problem. 2 History of the Parental Alienation Belief System. 3 The International Expansion of the Parental Alienation Belief System Through the UK and Australian Experiences. 4 Experiences of Parental Alienation Interventions. Part 2: When a Child Avoids a Parent: Identifying and Treating Problems. 5 Evaluations for the Courts in Child Custody Cases: An Attorney’s Perspective. 6 Distinguishing Alienation from Child Abuse and Adverse Parenting. 7 Comparison of Parental Alienation Treatments and Evidence-Based Treatments for Children. 8 Gender Credibility and Culture: The Impact on Women Accused of Alienation. 9 Developmental Changes in Children and Adolescents: Relevance for Parental Alienation Discussions. Part 3: When a Child Avoids a Parent: Scientific and Legal Analyses. 10 Parental Alienation Concepts and the Law: An International Perspective. 11 Questioning the Scientific Validity of the Parental Alienation Label in Abuse Cases. 12 Parental Alienation, Science, and Pseudoscience . 13 Conclusion: Current Issues About Parental Alienation.

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