The issues children of divorce experience are many and varied. However, we can all agree that they need to maintain a loving and healthy relationship with both parents whenever possible.
Unfortunately, making child custody and support decisions can bring out the worst in parents. One type of negative parental behavior that may arise during or after divorce involves alienating children against the other parent.
Parental alienation syndrome is a widespread problem here in New York and elsewhere in the nation. Many view the syndrome as a form of child abuse because it can turn children against one of their parents.
Any parent can engage in these alienating behaviors, but when it begins to occur, the other parent should immediately address the issue in order to prevent further emotional harm in kids.
If you believe your co-parent is alienating your children from you, look for these early warning signs:
- Your children suddenly insist that you do not attend their activities.
- Your children begin to argue with you or display rage against you.
- Your children reject any bond they previously had with you.
- Your children suddenly want to live exclusively with the other parent
If you see any unusual behavior changes in your kids, it is important to take action right away. In many cases, a family law attorney can put you in touch with a child behavior professional to help you get to the truth of the matter. We also recommend that you speak with a family law attorney about the possibility of making changes to your child custody and support orders. An early response can often prevent any additional psychological harm to your children.
We urge you to learn more about parental alienation syndrome in order to protect your kids. It is also wise to learn as much as possible about modifying child custody and support orders. Keep reviewing our firm’s website for additional information.
