Why Parental Alienation Is Not a Syndrome.

Few concepts in family law and child psychology have generated as much confusion and controversy as parental alienation.

Misinformed critics often dismiss it outright, pointing to the rejection of “Parental Alienation Syndrome” (PAS) as evidence that parental alienation itself is unscientific or imaginary.

This conclusion is deeply flawed and deeply harmful.

Parental alienation is not a medical or psychological syndrome, nor should it be treated as one.

However, parental alienation is real, observable, empirically supported, and profoundly harmful.

It describes a pattern of behaviours and relational dynamics that result in a child’s unjustified rejection of a parent.

The failure to distinguish between a rejected diagnostic label and a well-documented phenomenon has had serious consequences for children, families, and courts.

This distinction matters.

When terminology eclipses reality, children suffer.

This article will explain the reality of parental alienation dynamics and distinguish it from common misconceptions.

If you're an alienated parent and need help with your situation then you should join PAPA today.

At PAPA we have several free to use support spaces, as well as several additional resources available to our Plus members, such as courses, PAPA AI, 1-2-1 help and workshops on family law and mental health.

What People Mean When They Say “Parental Alienation”

The term parental alienation refers to a process in which one parent undermines a child’s relationship with the other parent, intentionally or unintentionally, through manipulation, denigration, and interference.

The concept predates the controversial term Parental Alienation Syndrome, which was introduced in the 1980s and framed alienation as a diagnosable condition residing in the child.

Much of the public confusion stems from conflating the phenomenon with the diagnostic label.

The rejection of PAS as a formal diagnosis was not a rejection of alienation itself.

Rather, it reflected legitimate concerns about medicalising complex family dynamics and misplacing the source of harm.

Parental alienation is best understood as:

• Alienating behaviours enacted by a parent or caregiver

• Alienated child dynamics that emerge as a result

• Relational harm, not internal pathology

Why Parental Alienation Is Not a Syndrome

What Defines a Syndrome

In medicine and psychology, a syndrome requires a consistent cluster of symptoms, clear diagnostic boundaries, and identifiable pathology.

Syndromes are designed to describe conditions that exist within an individual, largely independent of context.

Why Parental Alienation Does Not Meet These Criteria

Parental alienation does not reside inside a child.

It is context-dependent, shaped by family systems, power dynamics, custody disputes, and psychological influence.

Children’s responses vary widely depending on age, temperament, developmental stage, and the intensity of the alienating behaviours.

There is no single symptom profile, no uniform presentation, and no internal disease process.

The harm emerges from ongoing relational manipulation, not from a disorder in the child.

The Problem With Calling It a Syndrome

Labelling parental alienation a syndrome:

• Medicalises family conflict

• Obscures adult responsibility

• Encourages critics to dismiss the phenomenon entirely

While PAS was rightly rejected as a diagnosis, rejecting parental alienation itself is a categorical error.

Indeed, contemporary family courts explicitly reject the idea that parental alienation is a diagnosable syndrome.

In Re C (‘Parental Alienation’; Instruction of Expert) [2023] EWHC 345, the President of the Family Division emphasised that parental alienation is not a syndrome capable of being diagnosed, but rather a process of manipulation for the court to assess as a matter of fact and behaviour.

Parental Alienation as a Real and Observable Phenomenon

Parental alienation is supported by decades of consistent behavioural evidence.

Alienating behaviours follow recognisable patterns across cultures, legal systems, and family structures.

These include:

• Persistent denigration of the targeted parent

• Interference with communication and visitation

• False narratives and revisionist family history

• Induced fear, guilt, or loyalty conflicts

Children exposed to these behaviors often demonstrate strikingly similar responses:

• Sudden, unjustified rejection of a once-loved parent

• Use of adult language and rehearsed accusations

• Black-and-white thinking and lack of ambivalence

• Reflexive alignment with the favoured parent

These patterns cannot be explained by ordinary estrangement or developmental preference.

Alienation vs. Estrangement

True estrangement occurs when a child distances themselves to protect against abuse, neglect, or chronic harmful parenting.

Parental alienation is fundamentally different.

In alienation:

• Rejection is disproportionate or unfounded

• Fear is induced rather than experienced

• Manipulation replaces protection

Conflating estrangement with alienation harms everyone, abuse victims are disbelieved, and alienated children are left without intervention.

Empirical and Professional Recognition Without a Syndrome Label

Parental alienation is widely recognised in family courts, mental health practice, and child development literature.

Research spanning psychology, psychiatry, social work, and family law documents:

• The mechanisms of alienating behaviours

• The psychological harm to children

• Long-term outcomes into adulthood

Many real and actionable forms of harm, such as emotional abuse, coercive control, and gaslighting are not syndromes.

Scientific validity does not require diagnostic classification.

Judicial Recognition and Case Law

Family courts routinely encounter and assess parental alienation issues:

• In Re C (2023), the English High Court confirmed that whether parental alienation has occurred is a matter of fact for the court, not a diagnosis, reinforcing that courts treat parental alienation as a behavioural reality. 

• In Re GB (2023), appellate courts reaffirmed that establishing alienating behaviours is a factual question for judges, not something an expert psychologist diagnoses. 

Family justice guidance has evolved to assist courts in distinguishing between justified resistance (e.g., estrangement due to abuse) and alienating behaviours, showing the legal system’s sophistication in handling these complex relational dynamics.

The Harm of Denial

Dismissing parental alienation because it is “not diagnosable” reflects a logical fallacy: if it is not a syndrome, it is not real.

This deeply flawed reasoning has contributed to:

• Judicial minimisation of abuse

• Inadequate child protection responses

• Lifelong psychological consequences for children

Children do not need a diagnosis to be harmed.

Parental Alienation as Psychological and Emotional Abuse

Alienating behaviours meet established definitions of child psychological abuse.

The long-term effects are well documented and include:

• Identity disturbance

• Attachment insecurity

• Depression and anxiety

• Increased risk of substance abuse and relational dysfunction

Abuse does not require a syndrome label to be real, measurable, or preventable.

Lived Experience and the Role of PAPA

Beyond research and court findings, the lived experiences of families provide overwhelming confirmation of parental alienation’s reality.

Organisations such as PAPA (People Against Parental Alienation) have emerged as critical voices in this space.

Through advocacy, education, and peer support, PAPA has attracted a substantial and growing international following of parents and adult children affected by alienation.

The sheer volume of shared experiences, spanning jurisdictions, cultures, and decades, reveals consistent patterns that mirror the professional literature.

These are not isolated anecdotes; they are converging narratives that reflect a widespread and under-recognised form of family harm.

The existence and growth of organisations like PAPA underscore an unavoidable truth: parental alienation affects far more families than critics are willing to acknowledge.

Making the Case Beyond Reproach

Parental alienation is supported by:

• Consistent behavioral patterns

• Predictable child outcomes

• Clinical observation

• Legal precedent

• Lived experience at scale

The absence of a diagnostic label does not negate causality, harm, or predictability.

The real question is not whether parental alienation is a syndrome.

The real question is whether the behaviours exist, whether they harm children, and whether society has a responsibility to intervene.

The answer to all three is yes.

Moving Forward Without Mislabelling

Parental alienation is not a syndrome.

It is a real, destructive, and well-documented phenomenon rooted in behaviour, relationships, and power dynamics.

Denying its existence because of terminology does not protect children, it abandons them.

Progress requires precise language, informed professionals, and child-centered interventions.

When we stop arguing over labels and start responding to reality, children finally stand a chance.

In need of help or support?

If you are an alienated parent reading this article and feel you are in need of help and support then please make sure to join PAPA today by signing up here on our website.

This will give you access to our community support forum as well as our Resource Centre, which includes downloadable guides and on-demand courses to help through the process of being alienated and regaining contact with your children.

We also have our Facebook support group that you can join here.

Our Facebook support group has several dedicated chat rooms where you can get immediate support.

If you are a member of PAPA you can also send us a message here on the website and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible but please bear in mind, we have hundreds of messages weekly so it may take us a while to get back to you.

We are currently prioritising PAPA Plus members due to high demand.

Regardless of circumstance you are not alone and at PAPA we are here to support you.

Become a PAPA Ambassador

If you like our resources, articles and support networks and agree with what we stand for then why not get involved and help us push PAPA further by joining our Ambassador Program?

We would love for you to join us and help spread awareness for parental alienation and all of the dynamics involved so that we can continue to help parents and children towards a better future.

Our Ambassador Program allows you to grow your involvement with the cause by earning points on your membership.

To earn points we have created rewards for actions such as completing one of our courses, booking a case review, or ordering supply.

We will be adding new rewards and actions to our Ambassador Program as we continue to grow our awareness efforts.

We want our members to feel rewarded for their support as we continue to look for new ways to improve the lives of those impacted by parental alienation.

You can also become a PAPA Plus member, which will give you exclusive access to even more help and resources.

Each PAPA Plus membership makes a huge difference to the cause as it really helps us to improve our services and our awareness campaigns.

Proceeds from memberships and supply allow us to push the cause much further towards raising awareness and improving our services and resources so that we can continue to help more and more parents and children.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support of PAPA and our mission to end parental alienation.