The Role of Schools in Cases of Parental Alienation.

A crucial element that can either escalate or alleviate parental alienation is the role of schools in recognising, addressing, and ultimately preventing this detrimental form of abuse.

Parental Alienation is a complex phenomenon that can have long-lasting effects on children and families.

It occurs when one parent manipulates a child into rejecting the other parent, often through subtle tactics that can go unnoticed by others.

This form of psychological abuse can have devastating consequences on the child's emotional well-being and their relationship with the targeted parent.

It is crucial for schools and caregivers to be educated about Parental Alienation so that they can recognise the signs and provide support to the affected children and families.

By being aware of this issue, educators and caregivers can intervene early to prevent further harm and help facilitate a healthy relationship between the child and both parents.

How Schools Become Involved

When parents part ways, children's lives are inevitably affected.

However, some parents resort to manipulative tactics, coercing their children to reject the other parent unjustly.

This toxic behaviour, known as parental alienation, can unfold subtly, making it challenging to detect without close observation.

Schools serve as a pivotal setting to uncover signs of parental alienation, given their direct interaction with children.

Often when two parents are unable to coparent or even communicate effectively the school becomes the intermediary.

I've spoken with many schools about parental alienation and while most are aware of it, none of those I've spoken with are sufficiently trained or educated on the matter, which is incredibly concerning given how widespread it is.

Our children spend a large percentage of their time at school so it's extremely important that teachers and other school personnel have sufficient training in safeguarding children from abuse such as parental alienation.

Not only do schools need sufficient education and training on parental alienation, they also need to be aware of child arrangements ordered by the family court and the legalities surrounding that.

In my personal circumstances with schools I had resolved the majority of my issues however I did have to repeatedly contact the school to make sure they contacted me as well as his mother for anything of importance.

Some schools are better than others regarding this and from the feedback I've received by members I probably have had one of the better ones to deal with, which was also probably helped by my established contact arrangement.

I've seen some schools repeatedly omit one parent from receiving letters and information regarding their child which no matter how subtle can lead to the estrangement and alienation of a parent/child.

I've been assisting a PAPA member recently who has had a lot of difficulty with his son's school and they have effectively assisted his children's mother in alienating him.

How Schools Can Assist Alienating Parents in Breaking Court Orders

Alienating parents often breach court orders by undermining the other parent's visitation rights or alienating their children from the non-residential parent.

Sometimes, these parents may try to manipulate school personnel to implement their agenda, such as denying access to information or visits from the other parent.

In the case of the member I've been helping recently, his son's mother repeatedly collected her son early from school on his court ordered days.

A big problem with this is that the school was well aware of the court order and had been sent proof of the court order on numerous occasions.

Sadly the school were not interested and said they couldn't stop the mother collecting his son despite the court order and despite her persistently breaking school policy by removing her child early in order to get there before he could collect him.

It's true that schools are not bound by a child arrangement order and only the two parents are bound to adhere to an order however it is unlawful for any individual or organisation to knowingly assist a parent in breaking a court order, under the Family Law Act 1996.

In this instance it's very clear that school have assisted the mother in breaking a court order as demonstrated by their willingness to allow her to repeatedly collect the child from school early on the father's court ordered days.

The mother claimed there were safeguarding concerns and that the child did not want to go with their father so the school had a meeting with the child and established there were no concerns at the father's house and there were no safeguarding concerns.

As a result of this meeting the father expressed his concerns of parental alienation and how the mother is abusing the school system in an attempt to alienate him, he again provided evidence of the court order as well as evidence of alienating behaviours along with our articles on alienating behaviours.

Unlike when the mother raised concerns, the school decided not to take any action or involvement and instead decided to ignore the father's concerns but still allow the mother to break school policy and collect his son early on his court ordered days.

This all unfolded just before the school holidays in July of this year and as a result of the alienating tactics of the mother and the lack of care from the school, the father has not seen his children since July and was unable to spend any time with them over the school holidays despite it being ordered by the court he would spend half of the school holidays with his children.

We are currently awaiting a new hearing date for an enforcement order and prohibited steps order.

This could have been prevented had the school been more strict with their own policy as well as recognising the importance of the court order and their role in making sure they are not assisting an offender, particularly after establishing there were no safeguarding concerns with the father.

Their inability to identify textbook alienating behaviours from the mother and behaviour patterns from the victim children has also had a detrimental impact on the child's wellbeing as they have now been manipulated and forced to spend 3 months without their loving father.

By educating schools about parental alienation and empowering them to recognise the signs, these educational institutions can thwart attempts by alienating parents to misuse the school environment for their harmful intentions.

The Importance of Educating Schools on Parental Alienation

Educating schools about parental alienation can provide a crucial support system for alienated parents who are unfairly targeted, ensuring their rights are upheld and fostering a more equitable family environment.

At PAPA we are working on creating information packs for schools and safeguarding bodies to refer to when assessing the safety of children living in two separate households.

We hope to be able to make these as downloadable guides but also physical guides that can be distributed to all schools and safeguarding bodies.

With roughly 70% of children in split families being subjected to some form of alienating behaviours and with over 50% of parents separated, it's quite clear that far more education is needed on this widespread and common form of abuse.

By involving schools in understanding and addressing parental alienation, we can break this destructive cycle of abuse and create a healthier environment for children and families.

Schools play a vital role in safeguarding the emotional well-being of children and ensuring their right to maintain healthy relationships with both parents.

Parental alienation has been proven to be just as destructive as any other form of child abuse and as a result deserves the same care and attention from schools and governing bodies.

Holding Enabling Bodies Accountable

It's incredibly important that governing bodies and organisations such as schools are held accountable when found to be actively enabling abuse such as parental alienation to take place.

With the aforementioned instance we are currently pursuing legal action against the school due to their willingness to knowingly act unlawful in assisting the mother to repeatedly break a court order.

Unfortunately I've not been able to find any case law on this matter and it's unrealistic to expect any significant action to be taken against the school but it's important to make sure we do everything we can to make an example of those breaking the law at the detriment of our children.

We are also scheduling a meeting with the father's local MP to discuss how all of this unfolded and how we can better protect children from this with the introduction of new policies and legislation as well as deterrents and punishments for those acting against a child's best interest, such as in this case.

Along with this we are complaining to the ombudsman in the hopes that the school will not continue to act with such ambivalence towards their pupil's wellbeing once the father regains contact after the upcoming court hearing.

By making sure there are enforceable punishments and deterrents for bodies who assist in parental alienation we can ensure that schools and other such bodies will act in a child's best interests.

Making Parental Alienation a Priority

Parental alienation poses a significant threat to family dynamics, and its impact can reverberate for generations.

By engaging schools in the conversation and raising awareness about the signs of parental alienation, we take a step towards protecting children's rights and promoting the well-being of all family members involved.

Schools have the power to be allies in combating parental alienation, offering support and resources that can help families navigate these challenging situations with empathy and understanding.

It is through education and awareness that we can dismantle the toxic cycle of parental alienation and create a brighter future for families everywhere.

As we strive for a society that prioritises the best interests of children and families, let us remember the crucial role that schools play in identifying and preventing parental alienation.

Together, we can build a supportive network that empowers parents and safeguards children from the harm of alienation.

Remember: education is key, awareness is power, and protecting children's rights is everyone's responsibility.

Let's educate, advocate, and create a world where parental alienation is no longer a silent threat but a resolved issue.

By advocating for the involvement of schools in combating parental alienation, we take a significant step towards ensuring the well-being of children caught in the turmoil of family conflicts.

Let us work together to enlighten, empower, and protect families from the devastating effects of parental alienation.

In need of help or support?

If you are an alienated parent reading this article and feel you are in need of help and support then please make sure to join PAPA today by signing up here on our website, completely free.

This will give you access to our community support forum as well as our upcoming Resource Centre, which will include free downloadable guides to help through the process of being alienated and regaining contact with your grandchildren.

We also have a free to use Facebook support group that you can join here.

Our Facebook support group has several dedicated chat rooms where you can get immediate support.

If you are a member of PAPA you can also send us a message here on the website and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible but please bear in mind, we have hundreds of messages weekly so it may take us a while to get back to you.

Regardless of circumstance you are not alone and at PAPA we are here to support you.

Want to get involved?

If you like our free resources, articles and our support networks and agree with what we stand for then why not get involved and help us push PAPA further?

We would love for you to help us spread awareness for parental alienation and all of the dynamics involved so that we can continue to help parents and children towards a better future.

Get some PAPA Supply today and help us reach many more in need of our support and also help us spread awareness so that we can help all victims of this abuse.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support of PAPA and our mission to end parental alienation.