When going through divorce, it is crucial to pay attention to how your child acts and behaves. Unfortunately, some parents take a divorce as their chance to alienate your child from you.
You need to keep an eye out for potential warning signs of alienation. If left unchecked, this environment can do a lot of harm to your child. Thus, nipping it in the bud is often your best option. But how do you do that?
Inward and outward manifestations
The Psychiatric Times talks about how to identify, treat and even prevent parental alienation. The first step in doing so is identifying signs of parental alienation as they appear. These signs may come in different forms. For example, some children react to parental alienation in external ways. They lash out at others and grow agitated. They refuse to obey figures of authority. They break ties with friends and push away peers.
Other children react inwardly, instead. They may feel depressed or stressed. They could withdraw from friends and peers. They might feel self-blame or guilt over their rejection of you. These complex feelings can lead to poor coping mechanisms and mental stability in the future.
Parental rejection
The biggest and first sign is often how your child interacts with you. Do they suddenly reject your presence? Do they no longer want to spend time with you? Any of these things occurring with no preamble or reason could point to parental alienation. If you notice this happening, consider contacting a legal professional. They can help you decide what to do next to best help your child.
