Alan D. Blotcky, PhD

All allegations of sexual abuse by children must be taken seriously. Data suggest that the overwhelming majority of children’s allegations are legitimate and true.

 But, in certain situations and circumstances, a child may lie and make up false allegations of abuse. This phenomenon is seen most commonly in child custody cases and in criminal cases.

As a clinical and forensic psychologist, I am often enlisted to help a parent prove his or her innocence in a 

. My task, in these instances, is to try to understand why a child would fabricate a story of sexual abuse against his or her close family member. Based on my experience, here are some of the reasons children lie:

1. Children sometimes make up allegations of sexual abuse because they are looking for attention. When children feel neglected by their parents, they may be inclined to fabricate a story of sexual abuse because they know it will bring them attention. With some kids, negative attention is better than no attention at all. Young children and even teens will make up a story of sexual abuse without understanding the serious custody or criminal implications for the parent in question.

2. A child who is angry with a parent may decide to accuse that parent of sexual abuse. For example, a child might be mad at a parent for seeking a divorce, or for real or perceived favoritism of a sibling.

3. Children, particularly those embroiled in dysfunctional family situations, sometimes falsely report sexual abuse to have the accused parent removed from the child’s life. For example, a girl who has a rocky relationship with her father or stepfather may accuse him of sexual abuse to remove him from the family because of his verbal hostilities, drug abuse, or overly harsh discipline.

4. In contentious child custody cases, a child may fabricate a story of sexual abuse against one parent at the encouragement of the other parent who 

wishes to gain leverage in the legal proceeding

. Children and teens are especially susceptible to suggestions, manipulation, brainwashing, and coaching by a parent.

5. Some children make up a story of sexual abuse against a parent to “explain away” their own sexual misbehavior or other inappropriate actions. For example, a child might accuse a parent of sexual abuse who has recently discovered that the child has been sneaking out of the house to have sex. Or a child might lie about parental sexual abuse after being arrested for shoplifting. 

Red Flags for Detecting Children’s False Claims

In every case of alleged sexual abuse, the mental health expert must approach it with an open mind.

 All possible hypotheses should be explored; tunnel vision must be avoided. It is imperative to consider all available evidence to either corroborate or refute the claim of sexual abuse. While most claims of sexual abuse are true from a statistical standpoint, some are lodged falsely and must be exposed. In a 

, a parent’s custodial time can be lost if the allegation is not debunked. In a criminal case, a parent’s very freedom is at stake since incarceration is a probable penalty.

There are several red flags that point to a false allegation of sexual abuse by a child. These include:

1. In a forensic interview, a sexually abused child is typically anxious, scared, worried, conflicted, ambivalent, and prone to recantations. In contrast, a child who is calm, cool, collected, and smooth may be fabricating the allegation of abuse.

 While this rule of thumb holds true, there are of course exceptions.

2. A timeline of events and actions will often reveal a fabricated allegation. An allegation of sexual abuse that occurs within days or a few weeks of a major event can reflect a fabricated story. For example, I had a case where an allegation of sexual abuse occurred within 72 hours of a husband asking for a divorce. The wife was shocked and scared of losing custody of their 3 children. The allegation of abuse was lodged to gain leverage in the child custody battle that was imminent.

3. If the first allegation of sexual abuse occurs during a divorce and/or child custody proceeding, a fabricated story should be considered. If multiple allegations are made during the proceeding, that is a huge red flag for fabrication.

4. If it is well-established that a child is being manipulated or coached by a parent, that child’s allegation of sexual abuse against the other parent must be scrutinized. As mentioned earlier, children and teens are easily manipulated by a parent and can be unwitting participants in a false allegation claim.

5. If the parent in question does not have a prior history of inappropriate sexual activity, criminal behavior, or serious substance abuse, it is more likely that the current allegation of sexual abuse is false.

6. If the child or a member of the family has a history of making previous similar allegations of abuse against others, it is more likely that the current allegation claim is false.

7. Some children, especially younger ones, will believe sexual abuse happened to them if they are repeatedly asked leading questions by a parent, investigator, or evaluator. Children want to please authority figures and will take their cues from them. In such circumstances, very young children have a difficult time distinguishing fact from fantasy.

8. Sometimes a parent will misconstrue or misinterpret what a child says and then magnify it into an act of sexual abuse. This happens with younger children most often. For example, if a father touches a young child’s “private parts” while giving a bath.

As I have encountered first-hand in cases, most adults find it implausible that a child would make up a false allegation of sexual abuse against a close or extended family member. Attorneys, mediators, district attorneys, judges, and even mental health practitioners make the mistake of taking a child’s word at face value without careful determination of its truthfulness.

False allegations of abuse by children do happen in both custody and criminal cases. Children lie for a variety of reasons and those reasons must be exposed. That is the task of the mental health professional in such a case.

Finally, it is also important to note that the number of false allegations of child sexual abuse is lower than the number of children who do not disclose such abuse or who lie by saying it did not occur.

 To be clear, sexual abuse of children continues to be a major problem and we must not turn a blind eye to the enormity of the psychological damage to our youth.

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. He is also clinical associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr Blotcky can be reached at alanblotcky@att.net.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of

1. Cyr M, Bruneau G. False allegations of child sexual abuse. In: St-Yves M, Tanguay M, eds. 

The Psychology of Criminal Investigations: The Search for the Truth

Children’s suggestibility: characteristics and mechanisms.

3. London K, Bruck M, Ceci SJ, Shuman DW. 

Disclosure of child sexual abuse. What does the research tell us about the ways that children lie?

4. O’Donohue WT, Fanetti M. Forensic Interviews Regarding Child Sexual Abuse: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practice. Springer International Publishing; 2016.

5. Blotcky AD. Child abuse allegations: sorting out lies versus truths. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/child-abuse-allegations-lies-versus-truths

An examination of the types of leading questions used by investigative interviewers of children.

Policing An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management.

. False statements and the differential diagnosis of abuse allegations.

Articles

Here’s how to distinguish false allegations of sexual abuse. 

False Allegations of Sexual Abuse

An excellent article has recently been published on the scientific underpinnings of our understanding of parental alienation.

 Parental alienation as a mental condition is indeed founded on scientific research. In addition, there is a wealth of accumulated clinical knowledge of parental alienation in real-life, high-conflict cases. In this article, my goal is to discuss lessons learned from my experiences as an expert in alienation cases.

To provide context, I have been involved in at least 100 parental alienation cases over the years. I have been court-appointed to evaluate both parents in some of these cases. In others, I have been retained by a targeted or rejected parent to serve as an expert advocate on their behalf. Currently, I am retained in cases in 10 states and in Canada and England.

As a clinician, I can tell you that parental alienation is real, toxic, and potentially life changing. Of course, there are varying degrees of parental alienation, ranging from mild to moderate to severe.

 Mild to moderate alienation means the child is partially rejecting the targeted parent. In severe alienation, the parent is being totally rejected.

Estrangement is very different from alienation.

 Estrangement means the child is rejecting the targeted parent due to a legitimate concern about that parent, such as substance abuse or physical altercations or major mental illness. It is important for a mental health expert not to confuse estrangement with parental alienation. They are totally different situations and conditions.

We know that children who are immersed in the middle of a high-conflict separation, divorce, or postdivorce are at much higher risk for psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, behavior problems, substance abuse, and more. This is true for children in childhood and later in adulthood.

 This is exactly what I have encountered clinically in my work.

Parental alienation manifests itself in a wide variety of behaviors, maneuvers, and strategies by the offending parent aimed at having the child reject the other parent. Bad-mouthing, interfering with visitation time, interfering with phone calls, cutting off family members, and false allegations of abuse are a few of the common alienating behaviors. A list of 17 frequent alienating strategies has been described in the literature.

False allegations of abuse are weapons that alienating parents use to gain leverage in their court proceedings. Filing criminal charges intensifies the weaponization even more. Such false allegations are hard to disprove, and offending parents use that fact to their advantage. Fortunately, investigations by child protective services often produce a “not indicated” or “unsubstantiated” finding, which helps to show the falseness of the allegations. Here is an important rule of thumb: multiple false allegations of abuse during a divorce proceeding are a huge red flag for parental alienation.

Attorneys involved in parental alienation cases often make the situations worse, not better.

 Winning is their top priority. The alienating parent’s attorney often turns a blind eye or even encourages the destructive behavior to “win” their case. The child’s attorney—the GAL—often has no mental health training and takes what the child says at face value, thus enabling the parental alienation. The rejected parent’s attorney may understand the dynamics but their hands are tied by the roadblocks imposed by the alienating parent’s attorney and the GAL. Passivity and defeatism may set in. Thus, it is often true that the attorneys in parental alienation cases do little to uncover and correct the pathological dynamic.

We know there is a certain treatment template that works in parental alienation cases.

 The alienating parent needs individual therapy that focuses exclusively on ceasing the alienating behavior. At the same time, the alienated child and the rejected parent must have reunification therapy to repair their relationship. If the child’s alienation is severe—meaning total rejection of the parent—the child must be removed from contact with the alienating parent, at least for a while, so that reunification therapy can take hold and be sustained.

Treatment of parental alienation can be successful if all involved in the case—attorneys, mediators, coordinators, experts, and judges—support the template offered above. Parental alienation in a child can be corrected. It is not a hopeless situation. But roadblocks to treatment must be recognized and combated.

Mental health experts are an invaluable asset in parental alienation cases, especially if the expert is knowledgeable and experienced in such dynamics. In my opinion, all high-conflict divorces that involve child custody matters should have a mental health expert in some capacity. Without an expert, these cases can become convoluted, twisted, and confusing very quickly.

As William Bernet, MD, and I have written, winning in a parental alienation case is much different than in all other family-law cases.

 Winning should be defined in terms of exposing and correcting parental alienation in the child. The correction of parental alienation is in the child’s best interest in each and every case. Ignoring it or accepting it as fait accompli is both ethically and professionally unacceptable and harms the child in the short-term and long-term.

Steven Miller, MD, recently passed away. He was an important contributor to our understanding of parental alienation cases.

 He wrote about the counterintuitive nature of parental alienation. The counterintuitive features of parental alienation are at the core of all diagnostic and treatment problems in these cases.

It is unacceptable for a physically or sexually abusive parent to falsely claim that they are the victim of parental alienation. That is a ruse that cannot be condoned or enabled. Parental alienation as an entity is not intended to cover up or hide physical or sexual abuse in a family.

Parental alienation is a diagnosable and treatable mental condition. Detractors who say otherwise are misguided and wrong. The condition is supported by both scientific research and clinical experience. Those of us who work in cases of parental alienation can attest to its toxicity, its confusing presentation, and its ability to be corrected under the right circumstances.

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama.He is also clinical associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr Blotcky can be reached at alanblotcky@att.net.

1. Harman JJ, Warshak RA, Lorandos D, Florian MJ. 

Developmental psychology and the scientific status of parental alienation.

2. Koszyk PA, Bernet W. Treatment and prevention of parental alienation. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/treatment-and-prevention-parental-alienation

The Five-Factor Model for the diagnosis of parental alienation.

The impact of parental alienating behaviours on the mental health of adults alienated in childhood.

Surviving Parental Alienation. A Journey of Hope and Healing

6. Blotcky AD. False allegations of abuse during divorce: the role of alienating beliefs. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/false-allegations-of-abuse-during-divorce-the-role-of-alienating-beliefs

7. Blotcky AD, Bernet W. Winning parental alienation cases: a roadmap for family lawyers. 

. January 12, 2022. Accessed July 25, 2022. 

https://familylawyermagazine.com/articles/winning-parental-alienation-cases/

A roadmap for the treatment of parental alienation.

9. Miller SG. Clinical reasoning and decision-making in cases of child alignment: diagnostic and therapeutic issues. In: Baker AJL, Sauber SR, eds. 

Working With Alienated Children and Families: A Clinical Guidebook

. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group; 2014:8-47.

Parental alienation: a mental condition is indeed founded on scientific research. 

Lessons Learned From Parental Alienation Cases

Adversarial child custody battles are fertile ground for the lodging of false allegations of abuse. All too often, 1 parent will make a false allegation of abuse against the other parent as a way of gaining leverage in a court proceeding. In fact, it is an intentional and purposeful attempt by the accusing parent to throw the other parent under the bus and thereby gain all power in their custody dispute. As such, false allegations of abuse are a weapon of destruction in a family.

False allegations of abuse become more disruptive and weaponized if they turn into criminal charges. They then become a sinister plan by the accusing parent to totally sever the child’s relationship with the “dangerous” parent by sending that parent to prison. That is the extent to which some parents will go to extricate themselves from an ex-spouse or ex-partner. But they do not understand or care that they are causing great harm to their children by removing 1 of their parents under false pretense.

False allegations of abuse can be difficult to uncover, expose, and prove. There is a natural tendency for attorneys, judges, mediators, mental health professionals, and laypeople to believe a parent’s or a child’s allegations. After all, why would a parent or a child lie? Why would a story of abuse be fabricated? The answer is clear: Because a false allegation of abuse can sabotage the other parent’s position in the legal proceeding. The weaponization of false allegations can be successful. Sometimes, the false allegations win out and the targeted parent suffers the catastrophic repercussions.

The best way to fight a false allegation of abuse is through documentation and the development of a detailed timeline. A timeline can show the sequence of events and behaviors that demonstrate the high likelihood that an allegation of abuse is false. When—and under what circumstance—an allegation is made can expose its falseness. Multiple allegations during a custody proceeding is a huge red flag for fabrication. In essence, the timing and sequence of events can explain the emergence of a false allegation of abuse.

False allegations of abuse often appear in parental alienation cases. They are 1 of the tactics or strategies used by an alienating parent. I have been involved in hundreds of parental alienation cases, and a high percentage of them have included false allegations of abuse as a weaponized maneuver by the alienating parent. Many times, false allegations and parental alienation go hand in hand.

The weaponization of false allegations cannot be condoned and thus empowered. It is one of the biggest mistakes made in child custody cases. If condoned, incorrect and harmful custody decisions can result in court. Custody of a child can be incorrectly awarded to a parent who has fabricated allegations in a conniving and pernicious way. Such a parent is not a healthy custodial figure. This can have disastrous consequences for the child, both in the short-term and long-term.

“Teddy” is a 12-year-old boy whose parents, “Mike” and “Mary,” went through a hotly contested divorce. Mike and Mary had been married for 16 years before their marriage fell apart due to financial pressures and Mike’s extramarital affair. During the divorce proceeding, Mary accused Mike of physically abusing Teddy. Shortly thereafter, Mary was given temporary custody of Teddy because Mike was perceived as abusive.

Initially, Mary’s attorney, the guardian ad litem, the judge, and the mediator believed that Mike was an abusive parent. Mike was ordered to have supervised visits with Teddy in a public setting. He was also ordered to have anger management classes, a psychological evaluation, and random drug screens for 6 months.

A timeline of events showed that Mary’s allegation against Mike was lodged 6 days after Mike filed for primary custody of his son. Over their long marriage, Mike had never shown a hint of being aggressive or assaultive. Mike’s psychological evaluation came back normal. He voluntarily took a polygraph exam, which showed truthfulness with no deception.

As a mental health expert who was retained by Mike, I presented this timeline as part of my court testimony. I was convinced that the allegation of abuse against him was false.

Ultimately, after many months of acrimony and continuances, Mike was awarded joint physical custody of Teddy. The falseness of Mary’s allegation was believed and accepted. She was trying to gain leverage in the custody battle by portraying her estranged husband as dangerous and unworthy of custodial time.

Not all cases of false allegations of abuse end successfully. Many times, the false allegations remain potent because they cannot be dispelled completely. In other words, the allegations remain weaponized.

False allegations of abuse must not be tolerated in custody proceedings. Such allegations would stop if the accusing parent faced swift and firm negative consequences for their destructive ploy, such as loss of custody, loss of parenting time, a large fine, or others.

All allegations of abuse must be taken seriously. But during divorce proceedings involving child custody matters, false allegations of abuse can be a major damaging ploy by one parent. They can twist a case into a knot that cannot be easily untied. Yet, a knowledgeable and experienced mental health expert is in a unique position to uncover and expose the falseness of an allegation of abuse.

If believed or left to gain steam, a false allegation of abuse can defeat a parent and set the stage for psychological damage in the child. Falseness must always be combated. The truth must prevail if the child’s ultimate wellbeing is a top priority.

How can one parent weaponize allegations of abuse and how can it damage a child’s mental health? 

The Weaponization of False Allegations of Abuse

As a clinical and forensic psychologist, I am often court-appointed or privately retained to conduct psychological/custody evaluations in high-conflict divorce cases. My evaluations in these cases usually take at least 6 months or more to complete. Why? Because longitudinal evaluations are the best way to detect, uncover, and describe complicated family dynamics. Family dynamics can be largely or entirely missed in a one-shot, cross-sectional evaluation. Inaccurate or wrong findings, conclusions, and recommendations can be the unfortunate consequence. A child’s well-being and best interest can be lost if the evaluation is completed too fast with too few information/data points over time.

I have had many cases where important family dynamics did not reveal themselves initially in individual interviews and psychological testing. The goal of any psychological/custody evaluation is to determine the impact of parental and family influences on a child and to make recommendations based on those findings.

 Anything short of that is a missed opportunity and will be unhelpful in a legal proceeding.

Uncovering family dynamics is especially fraught in high-conflict divorces that are, by definition, contentious, adversarial, and prone to obfuscation and falsehoods.

 The surest way to see family dynamics clearly is to experience them in real-time as part of the evaluation process. In essence, the evaluator becomes a watchful spectator of the interactions and maneuvers of the various family members over an extended period of time.

Cross-sectional evaluations usually take 3 or 4 sessions per adult and 2 or 3 sessions per child. They include interviews, psychological testing, review of collateral information, and review of mental health records. Such evaluations can be accomplished in short order, like 2 months. But, all too often, these evaluations are not sufficient to uncover vital family dynamics. They often lack depth and breadth because they are based on limited information collected over a short period of time.

My longitudinal evaluations take at least 6 months and always include the filling in of a timeline of events and behaviors as they are occurring in real time.

 Information for the timeline is collected through many interviews, phone contacts, emails, and text messages. Both parents and children can provide valuable data for the timeline. At the end, a comprehensive picture of the family and its dynamics can be described extensively in vivid color and with texture.

Longitudinal evaluations are especially helpful in suspected cases of parental alienation.

 Since alienating or offending parents never admit to their damaging behavior, it behooves the mental health expert to follow the family over many months to see the sequence of events and behaviors as they unfold in real time. A timeline can be established that reveals the ebb and flow of harmful family maneuvers and behaviors.

Longitudinal evaluations also make sense when false allegations of abuse are a part of the case. In my experience, multiple false allegations during a divorce proceeding are a huge red flag for parental alienation.

 If the evaluation process extends for many months, these false allegations can mount up, clearly showing their role in the alienating process. And “not indicated” or “not substantiated” reports by child protective agencies can mount up as well during the evaluation period.

In court, longitudinal evaluations are robust and compelling. They provide many more data points to be considered in the overall assessment and depiction of the family. It is far easier to describe parental alienation in detail if a longitudinal approach has been taken in the evaluation process. Also, it lends itself to gripping courtroom testimony.

The American Psychological Association has published a report regarding the important features of a child custody evaluation.

 Ethical considerations are always paramount. What is missing in their model is an emphasis on a longitudinal evaluation rather than a cross-sectional one. Perhaps this feature should be added to the American Psychological Association’s model of custody evaluations.

By definition, longitudinal evaluations are much more time-consuming than one-shot assessments. But time should not be the guiding factor in mental health evaluations in high-conflict custody cases. Getting it right is far more important for the child. Taking as much time as needed should be the mantra of a highly helpful evaluation.

Treatment recommendations can be more accurate and specific when a longitudinal approach is taken in the evaluation. Treatment should always follow from diagnosis, and a comprehensive evaluation can set the stage for ongoing interventions that will be both effective and efficient.

In my experience, attorneys and judges make better decisions about custody arrangements when they are provided longitudinal information. Judges seem moved by timelines, documentation, and real-time examples.

There is 1 additional advantage to a longitudinal approach. Sometimes, the evaluation process itself can lead to significant awareness, changes, and resolution. The evaluation itself can be an intervention. In mild cases of parental alienation, for example, the evaluation process can convince the alienating parent to cease his or her damaging behavior, thereby resolving the crisis at hand.

One final note: In some cases of divorce, when parental alienation is not suspected and false allegations of abuse are not present, a one-time, cross-sectional evaluation does make sense. Simpler cases can indeed call for simpler evaluations.

In summary, parental alienation cases need longitudinal evaluations in order to detect and describe the damaging alienating behavior. These cases can be complicated and confusing at the beginning, but the evaluation process can tease out the prominent problematic dynamics in the family. A one-time, cross-sectional assessment can miss powerful and conclusive information in a case.

Assessing for alienation in child custody and access evaluations.

2. Bernet W. Children of high-conflict divorce face many challenges. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/children-high-conflict-divorce-face-many-challenges

3. Blotcky AD. Timelines are a critical tool in cases of false allegations of abuse and parental alienation. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/timelines-are-a-critical-tool-in-cases-of-false-allegations-of-abuse-and-parental-alienation

Parental alienation: the blossoming of a field of study.

Current Directions in Psychological Science

Guidelines for child custody evaluations in family law proceedings

Here’s why longitudinal evaluations in high-conflict divorce cases are critical. 

The Benefits of Longitudinal Evaluations in Parental Alienation Cases

Parental alienation is a pathological phenomenon in high-conflict divorces where 1 parent sabotages a 

child’s relationship with the other parent

. If the offending parent is successful in their mission, the child totally rejects the targeted parent; this would be severe alienation. Mild and moderate alienation involve partial rejection of a parent.



What an alienating parent does not realize is that a child is harmed tremendously by the total or partial loss of a parent. Short-term and long-term negative consequences have been found as a result of a child’s alienation.

 In its severest form, parental alienation is child psychological abuse, as listed in DSM-5.

There are many roadblocks in the diagnosis and treatment of parental alienation.

 An offending parent will vigorously deny being an alienator and confuse others by proclaiming that they are the victim. The alienated child will be strongly allied with the favored parent and claim that they alone have rejected the other parent without coaching or other influence. The alienated child’s attorney—the guardian ad litem (GAL)—often has no mental health training and will accept what the child says at face value, thereby reinforcing the alienation process. The alienating parent’s attorney will unabashedly encourage the alienating behavior because it is a “winning” strategy from a legal viewpoint. Most judges have little understanding of 

and are often swayed by the combined voices of the GAL and the alienating parent’s attorney.

These are a few of the major roadblocks in parental alienation cases. These roadblocks are real and potentially catastrophic to a case. They can interfere with accurate diagnosis, the implementation of appropriate treatment, and ultimate legal decisions that are in the child’s best interest. These roadblocks can turn a case upside-down so that the alienation is missed or dismissed—or, worse yet, that the wrong parent is identified as the alienator and the child is placed, or remains, in the care of an abusive parent.

But these roadblocks can be overcome. 

 cases can be accurately diagnosed, and appropriate treatment can ensue. Here is what needs to happen:

First, the targeted or rejected parent needs to make sure that a forceful attorney and an experienced mental health expert are on the team. Both professionals are critical to success. Neither can win the case alone. The mental health professional must have a strong understanding of the specific family dynamics associated with parental alienation. Without this knowledge base, the mental health professional will be susceptible to making serious errors in the case. This must be avoided by choosing the correct expert.

Second, documentation and a timeline of events and behaviors can be extremely compelling evidence in a parental alienation case. The documentation and timeline can be used by the attorney and mental health expert, especially in the courtroom. Judges pay attention to such evidence.

Third, 

 of abuse must be confronted head-on so that they do not become entrenched and intractable in the case. Often, these allegations are used as weapons by the alienating parent.

 Multiple allegations of abuse during a legal proceeding are a huge red flag for fabrication.

Fourth, specific interventions must be proposed, usually by the mental health expert and the rejected parent’s attorney. Here are the necessary interventions: The alienating parent must have individual therapy, the alienating parent’s attorney must make it clear that the damaging behavior must cease, and the alienated child and rejected parent must have reunification therapy. This is the treatment template in all parental alienation cases.

 All of these interventions must take place. Reunification therapy will fail if the alienating parent’s destructive behavior is not stopped.

Fifth, in severe cases of alienation where there is total rejection of a parent, removal of the child from the alienating parent for some period of time is considered both essential and mandatory. Research and clinical experience show that such removal can be accomplished with excellent results.



Sixth, nothing can sidetrack and undermine a parental alienation case more than enabling attorneys. Their unhelpful roles in the situation must be confronted. The alienating parent’s attorney and the GAL must be informed and guided by the mental health expert’s knowledge, experience, and understanding of the research and clinical literature.

Seventh, custody decisions must be based on accurate, comprehensive information about a family’s real dynamics. Parental alienation must not be overlooked, minimized, or dismissed. It is the goal of the mental health expert and the rejected parent’s attorney to present the true narrative of the alienation process in the family. At times, their voices must be strong and loud.

Eighth, the rejected parent must remain hopeful, determined, and proactive at every step along the way. Defeatism cannot creep in. Passivity is counterproductive. The rejected parent’s passion and love of the child must be the energizing force in uncovering and resolving the parental alienation pathology.

In sum, parental alienation cases can be managed effectively. It requires an experienced and assertive mental health expert, open and thoughtful attorneys, and a truly interested judge. These steps can lead to success. Overcoming parental alienation is within grasp.



is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr Blotcky can be reached at

Roadmap for the treatment of parental alienation.

2. Koszyk PM, Bernet W. Treatment and prevention of parental alienation. Psychiatric Times. March 12, 2020. 

3. Blotcky AD, Bernet W. A silent epidemic: Parental alienation in a child is on par with physical and sexual abuse. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/a-silent-epidemic-parental-alienation

4. Blotcky AD, Bernet W. Winning parental alienation cases: A roadmap for family lawyers. 

5. Blotcky AD. False allegations of abuse can be a strategy in child custody litigation. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/false-allegations-of-abuse-can-be-a-strategy-in-child-custody-litigation

In cases of parental alienation, these 8 steps should happen. 

Overcoming Parental Alienation

“We as a state, we as a society, need to do a better job with mental health. Anybody who shoots someone else has a mental health challenge.”

-Texas Governor Greg Abbott, May 25, 2022

There is a common misperception amplified by mainstream media and government officials that people “go crazy” or enter some altered state of consciousness and start shooting. Rather, executing murderous plots such as mass shootings at schools, grocery stores, places of worship, and public events requires a mind that is lucid and capable of producing rational thought, planning, and logical cognitive processing. For example, the 

2017 Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival shooter

 reportedly had extensive notes on distance, trajectory, and wind changes in his hotel room.

 These shooters are often linked with an adherence to ideas and rhetoric that are bandied about as truth on media outlets. On top of that, elected government officials with massive public platforms echo these “truths” and reinforce their so-called legitimacy. The result is a radicalized—not mentally ill—individual absorbing all of this extremist ideology who then takes advantage of the easy access to guns in America.

Highly publicized incidents of gun violence certainly impact those who are horrified by its gruesome details, its criminality, and its cruelty. On the other hand, those with malevolent ideas may perceive a different picture: That gun violence is justified and warranted by civilians in some cases. The 

 after killing 2 unarmed individuals and wounding another sent a loud and dangerous message: These killings may be justifiable in some cases and viewed as legal and moral.

It is also important to consider that would-be shooters see what happens when these crimes unfold from execution through legal consequences (if the shooter survives the incident). It may be that the Oxford, Michigan, shooter delivered his preattack messages and 

 as a potential prerequisite to an insanity defense.

 In addition, there are a lot of copycat features to the Uvalde shooting that resemble 

 A small number of these teenage shooter situations may be either copycat attempts or a “blaze of glory” means to an end in 

The fact of the matter is that ideology, racism, and perceived injustice trump mental illness in many of these cases. To put it bluntly, racism is not mental illness. Because of our deep-rooted history of mistreating populations of color and the maintenance of these beliefs over decades of American history, there has been a legitimate 

—dehumanization that falsely identifies certain groups as less than human, as enemies, or as needing to be eliminated. This, in part, explains why an 18-year-old white man can gun down an unarmed 86-year-old grandmother in a 

 He did not see past the color of her skin. That is racism—

 mental illness. A similar phenomenon occurred in the 

 That radicalized shooter saw elderly Jews worshiping on a Saturday morning as a threat. That is anti-Semitism—

 in Orlando, we saw a confluence of these factors.

 By most of the available evidence, this shooter was a radicalized Muslim with a particular hatred for the LGBTQ+ community. That is a hate crime—

 mental illness. Lastly, in some cases, the shooter has a grievance or is trying to correct an injustice, as was the case in the 2021 mass 

 that left 9 of the shooter’s former colleagues dead. That is vengeance—

We are not saying that some mass shooters are not seriously mentally ill at the time of their violent acts. That is likely the case in some of these horrific events. Some estimates place the number at about 

 who have serious mental illness when firing.

 Further, the contribution of serious mental illness to violent crimes involving a gun may be as low as 

 In fact, individuals with mental illness are more likely to be the 

—not the perpetrators—of violent crimes.

What we are saying is that serious mental illness is not the issue in the majority of these cases. The real problems are easy access to guns, widespread distribution of extremist propaganda and rhetoric, a rise in domestic terrorism, and failure to act by elected officials charged with protecting our citizens. Lastly, quite simply, civilians should not have automatic weapons, and 

arming guards or teachers is not the solution

 is an associate professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a global expert on psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

 is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama.

1. Hixenbaugh M, Siemaszko C. Abbott calls Texas school shooting a mental health issue but cut state spending on it. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/abbott-calls-texas-school-shooting-mental-health-issue-cut-state-spend-rcna30557

2. October 01, 2017: Gunman opens fire on Las Vegas concert crowd, wounding hundreds and killing 58. History.com. October 1, 2018. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/2017-las-vegas-shooting

3. Maxouris C. Here’s what legal experts say helped acquit Kyle Rittenhouse. 

. November 20, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/us/legal-experts-what-helped-rittenhouse-acquittal/index.html

4. Chambers J. Teacher alarmed by Oxford High suspect's drawings ahead of shooting, warned school leaders. 

. December 3, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2021/12/03/oxford-school-shooting-ethan-crumbley-drawings-teacher-warning/8854446002/

5. December 14, 2012: Sandy Hook school shooting.History.com. December 11, 2013. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-students-and-adults-at-newtown-connecticut-elementary-school

The misperception of gunmen as “crazy” is damaging. Here’s why. 