Stages of Parental Alienations Syndrome:

 

Children who are victims of PAS often go through different Stages as they experience the depth of the alienation.

Stage 1 - A Mildly Alienated Child of Parental Alienation Syndrome

A Mildly Alienated Child of Parental Alienation Syndrome

Mild

In mild cases of PAS there is some parental programming, but Contact with the targeted parent is not seriously affected and Contact can generally be maintained without too much difficulty, although the child may appear distressed at the time of transition.

Detecting PAS in the mild stage however is trickier, as the PAS-inducing parent's behaviour is generally more subtle and possibly unconscious. The PAS-inducing parent is likely to deny any motivation and/or acts, and states the opposite of what is true. Although statements made by the PAS-inducing parent may be sincerely meant, their view of the targeted parent is compromised and indicated by behaviour.

The following is not an exhaustive list, but other factors in the mild stage would include:

1. When one parent gets a new partner/remarries or has another child.

2. Where little regard is paid to the importance of Contact with the other parent.

3. A lack of value/encouragement regarding Indirect Contact between periods of Direct Contact.

4. Little awareness of the distress that a child may feel if Direct Contact or Indirect Contact (i.e. phone call) is missed.

5. The inability to tolerate the presence of the targeted parent, even at events that are important to the child.

The PAS-inducing parent may be aware that the child needs the other parent, but this rational belief may be overwhelmed by other factors at this stage.

The child in the mild stage will invariably have a reasonably healthy relationship with the PAS-inducing parent and the child usually participates in the campaign of denigration to maintain the primary emotional bond with that parent. Not aware of the feelings that motivate the unconscious PAS-inducing behaviour, the evaluator must look at the underlying messages that are given directly to the child. The mild stage of PAS is generally seen prior to hostile Court proceedings or where Court proceedings are less intense. The wishes and feelings of the child regarding the targeted parent are the first signs in detecting the PAS-induced behaviour.

Children in the mild category exhibit relatively superficial manifestations of the eight primary symptoms: campaign of denigration; weak, frivolous, or absurd rationalizations for the deprecation; lack of ambivalence; the "independent thinker" phenomenon; reflexive support of the loved parent in the parental conflict; absence of guilt; the presence of borrowed scenarios; and spread of the animosity to the extended family of the hated parent. Most often only a few of these eight symptoms are present. It is in the moderate type, and especially in the severe type, that most, if not all of them are seen. Visitation is usually smooth with few difficulties at the time of transition. Once in the alientated parent's home the children may be completely free of denigrating comments or, at most, such comments are intermittent and mild. The children's primary motive in contributing to the campaign of denigration is to maintain the stronger, healthy psychological bond that they have developed with their alientating parent.