The Not-Forgotten Child: Alienated Adult Children’s Experience of Parental Alienation

Abstract

This study explored the experience of adults who had experienced parental alienation during childhood. Ten alienated adult children participated in 60 to 90-minute semi-structured interviews about their experience of parental alienation. Using Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis framework, seven themes were identified. Participants described experiencing abuse perpetrated by the alienating parent. They described experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-worth, guilt, attachment problems, difficulty in other relationships, and reduced or delayed educational and career attainment that they attributed to their experience of parental alienation. These results demonstrated that children’s exposure to parental alienation may have lifelong ramifications for their psychological well-being.

Keywords:

• Parental Alienation
• Alienated Adult Child/Children
• Alienated Child/Children
• Targeted Parent
• Alienating Parent
• Child Abuse

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the Eeny Meeny Miney Mo Foundation for their support of this research. We are also grateful to all alienated adult children who participated voluntarily in this study and who were willing to contribute generously to research into parental alienation.

Disclosure statement

There was no funding or associated financial interests linked to this study. There are no other conflicts of interest.

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