The Times Might Be A-Changing – a new era for the perspective on parental alienation?
Morten Kjellås, concerned party, engaged in the rights of fathers and children, among others, in PASG Norway, a non-profit organisation aimed at building and disseminating knowledge about parental alienation.
Eivind Meland, Emeritus Professor at the University of Bergen, has researched youth health and lost parental contact.
It is positive that the professional communities recognise parental alienation as harmful to children's health. However, the courts lag behind.
Bob Dylan's iconic song "The Times They Are A-Changin'" speaks to us about an era where changing times demand new approaches and understandings. The song became a hymn for a generation fighting for justice, linked to the significant social upheavals of the 1960s.
In Norway, in a very different context and half a century later, we now possibly see a similar shift in how professional communities and authorities handle parental alienation.
2008: A recognition of resistance
In 2008, an information document from the Ministry of Children and Family marked a clear rejection of parental alienation as an acknowledged legal and psychological phenomenon. The document warned against the acceptance of parental alienation as a legal and psychological term. The Ministry expressed concern that such claims could be misused in child custody cases to discredit and marginalise the caring role of the other parent, and as a defence for violence and other forms of neglect, often without sufficient evidence.
This led to valid cases of parental alienation often being met with great scepticism or outright dismissed, which in turn put the welfare of many children at risk by leaving them in dysfunctional or directly harmful home environments and destroying the trusting relationship with the parent who was actually subjected to parental alienation.
Positive developments in professional communities, courts lag behind
It is particularly positive that the Norwegian Psychological Association, professional associations for child welfare educators, social workers, and educational psychologists, as well as specialty associations for paediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists and general practitioners now recognise that parental alienation is a relevant educational topic by approving participation in the international PASG conference in Oslo held from 5th to 7th September as part of their professional development. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Bufetat also recognise the phenomenon as a harmful factor in children's lives.
This demonstrates an acknowledgment of parental alienation as an important area related to professional development and is a step towards equipping professionals with the necessary knowledge to handle these sensitive cases in a more informed and professional manner.
Even with these advancements, the Norwegian Child Welfare Service, the courts, and appointed psychologists still face challenges related to a lack of competence. The absence of specialised knowledge and sometimes a biased approach, with the risk of confirmation biases, still poses obstacles to fair treatment of cases involving parental alienation. Identity politics also contribute to biases that can undermine fair treatment of all parties involved, particularly concerning men in caregiving roles.
In 2023, the Courts Administration published a national guide for handling parental disputes, and it is almost unbelievable that it does not mention parental alienation. Instead, it contains archaic and poorly substantiated claims about conflict.
The way forward
With increased professional recognition and better guidelines, Norway's legal system will be better equipped to handle parental dispute cases. The recently arranged PASG conference, seminars on parental alienation across the country, opinion pieces like this, and other similar initiatives offer unique opportunities for professional exchange and improvement of practice in this field in Norway. For children to receive the protection and support they deserve, both the courts and child welfare services must develop their understanding, experience, and apply valid methods in parental dispute cases. This will ensure a future where parental alienation is addressed with the seriousness and depth that the issue requires.
The article was published on fontene.no on 27.05.2024. https://fontene.no/debatt/the-times-might-be-achanging--en-ny-ara-for-synet-pa-foreldrefremmedgjoring-6.47.1050823.ce5e96a0cf