‘Parental alienation’ – working with children in high conflict cases

Dr Tom Slater, Lecturer in Social Work, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences and Caroline Crosswood, Senior Learning and Development Manager, Cafcass Cymru

‘Parental alienation’ has attracted considerable attention over the last few years, with widely varying claims being made about its significance in disputes between separated parents about contact and residence arrangements for their children. Yet it is a controversial term that has no agreed definition, further adding to confusion on a difficult topic. Welsh Government has responded to concerns as follows:

‘We view parental alienation not as a syndrome or a classification, but as a set of behaviours. The most important issue for us is that these behaviours, when they occur, are appropriately dealt with using our family and parenting support programmes and the existing regulatory and legal frameworks.’

Central to this approach is the skill of practitioners in Cafcass Cymru, local authorities and other services to manage instances of familial conflict in instances where allegations or suspicions of parental alienation exist. Children have a right to be kept safe from harm and a right to maintain a relationship with both parents, but early identification and analysis are key.

The will facilitate the dialogue about this complex topic and promote practical solutions where parental conflict is impacting on children’s well-being. To do this, the most recent social sciences and legal research will be drawn on to inform good practice in situations where:

• A parent is alleging that their child is subject to alienating behaviour by the other parent

• Children who previously had a good relationship with a parent have subsequently rejected that relationship for no clear reason

• Writers of section 7 reports are uncertain of their role or the next steps in the court process.

• Independent expert opinion may be necessary.

#Parentalalienation

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