Divorce Guide

PAS Risk Factors

PAS is a problem that spans all ethnicities, nations, and decades. Over the years psychologists are studying the PAS Risk Factors which are manifold. A theory explored by Richard Gartner in 80s has gained the attention of child psychologists and Family Welfare Organizations.

PAS or Parental Alienation Syndrome is a problem that occurs when the parents have an estranged relationship and cannot stand each other. It is a syndrome that affects the parent as well as the children. Let us go through a real story to understand Parental Alienation better.

Steve was 2 years old when his parents were divorced. Steve’s mother was an Indian staying in UK. Post divorce the mother shifted back to her native land with the child. Although Steve’s father held visitation rights and was also ready to travel India for seeing Steve, the mother created all the possible obstructions to stop them from seeing each other.

As Steve grew and started asking about his father, his mother told all wrong stories. Steve was brainwashed to believe that he has a worst father and must not have any relationship with him. Once when Steve was 6 years old his father managed to get a legal order to meet him. However, by that time Steve was totally estranged with his father and did not want to see him.

This is a typical case of PAS where the child is manipulated by one parent to hold negative views about another parent.

Children suffering from PA exhibit a number of negative behavioral patterns. They misbehave with the estranged parent by shouting at them, use offensive words against them, and deny seeing them ever.

PAS Risk Factors are undefined. PAS affects the child, the alienated parent, and the family system as a whole. It also affects the parent who is scheming and manipulating against the other one by making him or her bitter and stressed.

In most of the cases of Parental Alienation it is seen that the father is the victim and the alienated parent while the mother is the one who alienates the child against him. However the role of the father as an alienator cannot be ruled out completely.

PAS poses a number of risks on the mental and personal growth of children:

1. Children subjected to PAS are deprived from a fulfilling family experience which results in alienation or isolation from the world in general. Research shows that such children do not perform well in studies, lack concentration and drive to do well in life.
2. PAS poses a risk for the child getting drug addict, or an alcoholic at a very young age. They resort to wrong means of being happy and become alienated.
3. In many cases of parental alienation it is seen that when the child grows matured he realizes that the alienated parent is not actually that bad. This leads to tremendous guilt and the child becomes stressed. The guilt can also inspire suicidal tendency.
4. Child acquires an aggressive behavior and stops considering himself close to the parent he or she is staying with. He is ruined of parental love and guardianship that was important for his proper development.

PAS Risk factors are deadly for a healthy family system and affects the society by adding bad elements to it.

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