Breaking the cycle: the guidance on parental alienation

Parental alienation is a form of psychological manipulation that can significantly harm a child's relationship with the target parent. The alienating parent often tries to persuade the child that the other parent is harmful, unworthy of love, or doesn’t care about them.

While specific data on the prevalence of parental alienation is limited, research suggests it impacts around 11% to 15% of divorce cases. Additionally, research from the University of Manchester has shown that parental alienation can have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of both children and parents, with some studies indicating that around 80% of the most difficult cases in the family courts involve parental alienation.

According to CAFCASS, between 1 April 2024 and 28 February 2025, it received 35,717 new private law children’s cases, involving 53,721 children. This presents a pressing need for an understanding of the potential challenges that can arise.

Spotting the signs

The phenomenon of ‘alienating behaviour’, where it is alleged that one parent has either created or exacerbated a rift between a child and the other parent, needs to be scrutinised very carefully by a properly qualified professional, who will be able to strategically advise on how to deal with the situation. 

‘Appropriate justified rejection’ and ‘attachment affinity and alignment’ are two other behaviours that can be mistaken for parental alienation. They each describe situations where a child’s reluctance towards a parent is understandable and not necessarily due to parental alienation. This can stem from harmful parenting (like neglect or abuse), the child’s own conclusions about family dynamics, their preference for one parent due to factors like involvement or parenting style, or even as an attachment strategy. It’s crucial not to mistake these understandable reactions for alienating behaviour.

Examples of alienating behaviour can manifest in various ways, including badmouthing the other parent, limiting contact, or instilling feelings of fear or distrust towards them.

Such behaviours can lead to the child rejecting or resisting contact with the alienated parent, often resulting in significant emotional distress for the child and the targeted parent. 

As parental alienation has become more well-known, there has already been a marked increase in references to it, and it is important to understand how and why an allegation is being used and whether it is genuine; it can be used as a barrier or to delay proceedings. Some alienating behaviours can manifest as extreme accusations made by one parent about another, using the child, as well as being incredibly painful for the child, if unfounded, this has an even more severe impact on them. Regardless of the intent, or what either parent argues, the court will always respond and look to protect the child in these circumstances.