08/06/2025
As professionals we need to know more about parental alienation when risk assessing and safeguarding:
Parental alienation and complex trauma are closely linked — understanding this connection is key when supporting affected children.
Parental Alienation (PA)
Occurs when one parent (or another adult) influences a child to reject or fear the other parent without valid reasons. This is often done through:
• Badmouthing the other parent
• Limiting contact
• Creating false narratives
• Inducing guilt for loving the other parent
Complex Trauma
Refers to prolonged or repeated interpersonal trauma, especially in childhood. It typically involves harm from caregivers or trusted adults and leads to deep disruptions in:
• Attachment
• Emotional regulation
• Identity formation
• Trust and relationships
How Parental Alienation Causes Complex Trauma
PA is not a single event — it is a chronic pattern of emotional manipulation. This can:
• Undermine attachment bonds: The child loses a healthy relationship with a loving parent.
• Create identity confusion: Children are forced to reject a part of themselves connected to the alienated parent.
• Induce chronic stress: The child lives with anxiety, fear, guilt, and conflicting loyalties.
• Distort reality: Manipulation warps the child’s sense of what is true and trustworthy.
• Isolate the child: They may feel emotionally alone or unable to trust others.
Signs of Complex Trauma in Alienated Children
• Emotional dysregulation (outbursts, numbness, mood swings)
• Anxiety or depression
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty trusting others
• Dissociation or memory issues
• Self-blame or guilt
• Identity problems (confusion about who they are or where they belong)
🌟 Why It Matters
Recognising that PA is a form of complex trauma helps shift the focus from just “custody disputes” to child protection and therapeutic intervention. Without help, the trauma effects can last well into adulthood.
Supporting Affected Children
• Trauma-informed therapy
• Restoring safe, loving relationships
• Validating the child’s feelings and experiences
• Addressing the manipulation and helping rebuild reality-based thinking
• Educating schools and professionals to understand PA as a trauma issue
