The Role of Mediation in Parental Alienation Syndrome

There are degrees of disagreement in every divorce, some very minor but others that have a severe and far-reaching impact. disagreement and anger at its extreme can supervene in Parental Alienation Syndrome (Pas). This occurs when one parent consciously or unconsciously sabotages the connection between their children and their other parent. This is far beyond an occasional angry outburst or a disparaging remark. It involves relentless and inflated outbursts and comments that are designed to turn a child against a parent. Family courts are just now beginning to identify this behavior in a spouse' fitness as a parent. This is a involved and multi-faceted issue and in this report I will deal with one aspect that offers both the courts and involved parents some unavoidable advantages-mediation.

Mediation offers some real advantages in dealing with Parental Alienation Syndrome. First and possibly prominent is the ability of a Mediator to identify the syndrome in its introductory stages and take steps to mitigate its development. Being able to spend time with parents and learn about their parenting styles and interaction with each other and their children allows a Mediator to see the first signs of unreasonable conduct. All too often a lawyer can align themselves with one parent and lose their perspective. A Mediator is trained and actively strives for neutrality. When parents make accusations against each other a skilled Mediator can value credibility. This comes from their extensive exposure to both parents where a lawyer may have this palpate with only the parent that hires them.

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Another real advantage of Mediation involves time. Litigated divorces can palpate delays, especially when the separation is laden with accusations and conflict. A Mediator can bring in a considerable thinking condition professional to work with affected Family fast whereas such a professional would only be assigned by a court mandate after what can be a lengthy delay. A Mediator can work with the Family to ensure a neutral thinking condition Professional, with the advantage of the Mediator's extensive knowledge of the family, be brought in and correlate the extent of the alienation, and work to mend the damaged parent-child relationship.

An additional factor is that a Mediator, as a neutral evaluator, can resolve the validity of any accusations one parent may make against the other. In Parental Alienation Syndrome, a spouse may make accusations of abuse and it is vital that these accusations be evaluated by a neutral party. In litigated separation within the Family Court system, these evaluations involve many steps and many people. During the time it takes to hear, evaluate, and address these accusations, primary time is lost. Relationships can be damaged with passing time and Mediators can save time and may be able to mitigate this damage.

Alienation from a parent can cause a great deal of harm to the well-being of the entire Family and Mediation can be a unavoidable factor in identifying and limiting the negative impact of Parental Alienation Syndrome.

The Role of Mediation in Parental Alienation Syndrome