In family courts, a strange diagnosis is often heard. A child hates his father fiercely, although he has not beaten, insulted, or forgotten birthdays. Where does this hatred come from? Psychologists say: the parent alienation syndrome. Lawyers whisper: the mother has instigated. Judges frown: prove it. Then an expert evaluation for the parent alienation syndrome is appointed. What is this beast, how do they catch it, and can we trust it? Let's dig. What is the parent alienation syndrome The term was coined by the American psychiatrist Richard Gardner in 1985. He noticed: in divorce proceedings, some children, without objective reasons, begin to hate one of the parents. The child is not just offended; he demonizes the father or mother, attributes to them unsaid atrocities, refuses to meet, rejoices if the parent is sick or suffering. The cause is systematic processing by the second parent. The mother (rarely the father) instills in the child: "the other parent is an enemy, he is dangerous, he does not love you, he wants to abduct/kill/abandon you." A child, especially one under 12, cannot critically evaluate this information. He absorbs it as truth. A false picture of the world is formed. An important distinction from real violence: in the parent alienation syndrome, there are no facts of abuse. There are no beatings, no threats, no neglect. There is only instilled fear and hatred. And the main tool of alienation is the second parent, who sets the child up. Why is an expert evaluation for the parent alienation syndrome needed In court, two positions collide. The father says: "the child has been instigated." The mother says: "he is afraid of the father because he is cruel." Who is right? The judge is not a psychologist. He cannot look into the child's mind. A specialist is needed. The expert evaluation for the parent alienation syndrome is intended to answer three questions: Does the child have signs of the parent alienation syndrome? If there are, who ... Read more