Children as Weapons?

It makes me truly angry and sick when people use their children as weapons! It is wrong, immoral and downright despicable. It also demonstrates a person's complete lack of parenting skill and conscience. There is that word again. I do think that either you have a conscience or you do not, it is that simple.

Many parents who use their children as weapons are perpetrators. These perpetrators are guilty of Parental Alienation Syndrome, or PAS. PAS was first recognized and identified by Dr. Richard Gardner in 1985 and continues to be followed up with research by numerous others. These include, but are not limited to: Baker, Clawar, Darnall, Rand, and Warshak. It is a professionally and widely held statement that PAS is child abuse, because it destroys the bond or attachment between the child and the targeted parent. PAS does not go away or resolve itself; in fact, it grows worse over time.

In PAS children are used as weapons by an immature, emotionally underdeveloped parent in order to hurt the other parent. Cases can range from moderate to very severe. In severe cases, the child has been so alienated and completely estranged from the non-custodial parent that repair is virtually impossible without aggressive and long term therapeutic intervention.

If you know anyone who is hurting as a result of PAS, please share this with them. PAS is child abuse, and it is reprehensible. Although it is too late for me, it is not too late for someone else. There are lawyers, mediators and therapists who can help. Call them...