PASG Members Are Also Interested in Developing and Promoting Research on the Causes, Evaluation, Prevention, and Treatment of Parental Alienation

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

PASG Members Are Also Interested in Developing and Promoting Research on the Causes, Evaluation, Prevention, and Treatment of Parental Alienation MEMBERS OF PARENTAL ALIENATION STUDY GROUP March 8, 2021 The Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG) consists of about 770 individuals, mostly mental health professionals, from 62 countries, including: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangla- desh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Ara- bia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trini- dad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom (including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), and the United States (including Puerto Rico). The members of PASG agree that parental alienation should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Dis- eases – Eleventh Edition (ICD-11). PASG is an international, not-for-profit corporation. The members of PASG are interested in educating the general public, mental health clinicians, forensic practitioners, at- torneys, and judges regarding parental alienation. PASG members are also interested in developing and promoting research on the causes, evaluation, prevention, and treatment of parental alienation. PASG is an open membership organization. We welcome professionals (such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, attorneys, and judges) and nonprofessionals (such as alienated parents and grandparents and adult children of parental alienation). PASG does not certify that its members have any particular expertise. Inclusion in this list of members does not represent an endorsement from PASG. [PASG Members: If you want to edit, update, or improve the information about yourself, contact [email protected].] @TMDILH, who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has experienced parental alienation in his own family. @TMDILH started a website with information about parental alienation and child abuse. He also has advocated that we abolish the family court system in favor of mandatory mediation for cases involving children of separation and divorce. You can follow @TMDILH on Facebook and Twitter @TMDILH. Website: TellMyDaughterILoveHer.com. Email: [email protected]. Hawwah Abdellahi Gambo, originally from Nigeria, is a journalist and social entrepreneur in the United Kingdom. She has experienced parental alienation in her own family and observed it in her com- munity. She said, “Sadly no one thinks about it, much less recognizes the fact that it is a form of abuse. In my attempt to speak up about parental alienation and the dangers it portends, I pro- duced a documentary about Nigerian alienated mothers in 2019.” Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL4DKdZTIII&t=7. Email: [email protected]. Abe, who lives in Northern Virginia, has experienced parental alienation in his own family. He has con- ducted extensive personal research on the psychological and medical aspects of parental aliena- tion. Email: [email protected]. Parental Alienation Study Group, page 2 Suzanne Abel, B.A., J.D., who lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, describes herself as an alienated daughter, mother, and grandmother. Ms. Abel has been active with her local parental alienation group and she helps organize the program for Parental Alienation Awareness Day at the state capital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Email: [email protected]. Mohammad Aboulezz, a pharmacist in Cairo, Egypt, has experienced parental alienation in his own fam- ily. His children were removed from Saudi Arabia to the United States without his knowledge. Mr. Aboulezz said, “I’m waiting for a miracle to see my kids.” Email: [email protected]. Joanna Abrahams, a lawyer in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, heads a team of family lawyers who are part of a law firm, Setfords Solicitors. Ms. Abrahams has an interest in parental alienation. She has appeared on BBC Radio London and BBC Radio 4 Woman’s hour and has been featured in the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. She hopes to set up a network of legal professionals to tackle the phenomenon of parental alienation. Her law firm: www.setfords.co.uk. Email: [email protected]. Oscar Abudara Bini, M.D., is a specialist in infant and juvenile psychiatry at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also the former chief of Psychiatry for Adolescents and Family at the Ital- ian Hospital of Buenos Aires. Dr. Abudara Bini provides individual therapy, family therapy, reuni- fication therapy, and mediation. He serves as an expert witness for judicial proceedings. Email: [email protected]. Marvin Acklin, Ph.D., a private practitioner and senior custody evaluator in Honolulu, Hawaii, has con- ducted over 300 custody evaluations and has served as a parenting coordinator. He is an associ- ate clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Acklin’s website: www.dracklin.com. Email: [email protected]. Christine B. L. Adams, M.D., a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky, working on custody issues and child sexual abuse cases. She is co-author of Living on Automatic: How Emotional Conditioning Shapes Our Lives and Relationships. Website: www.doctorchristineadams.com. Email: [email protected]. Jennifer Adams, who lives in Winter Park, Florida, has experienced parental alienation in her own fam- ily. Ms. Adams is a community and statewide advocate regarding issues on child endangerment, domestic violence, and improving government processes, judicial accountability, and equality. She has been appointed to leadership roles in organizations such as the League of Women Vot- ers, the Orange County Domestic Violence Commission, and the State of Florida guardian ad li- tem program. Email: [email protected]. Giovanna Adelizzi, the marketing manager of a pharmaceutical company, lives in Desenzano del Garda, Italy. Ms. Adelizzi has experienced parental alienation in her own family. In Italy, she has worked to educate the public regarding parental alienation through the press and television. Also, she would like to create guidelines for Italian courts to follow in cases of parental aliena- tion. Email: [email protected]. Christine Adler, RNC, CCE, IBCLC, a maternal/child health nurse in Sumner, Maine, has experienced pa- rental alienation in her own family. She said that she is “living as the targeted parent in the nightmare of parental alienation.” Ms. Adler hopes to learn as much as possible about parental alienation and connect with others. She seeks an attorney, consultant, and/or expert witness to help her have her daughters back in her life. Email: [email protected]. Pamela Agramont, a certified life coach, is also certified in neuro-linguistic programming. She is a nar- cissist abuse recovery coach, a level one Reiki practitioner, and has studied at the High Conflict Parental Alienation Study Group, page 3 Institute. Ms. Agramont states that she and her children have suffered parental alienation and the shocking ordeal of family court abuse since 2014. Email: [email protected]. José Manuel Aguilar Cuenca, Ph.D., is a clinical and forensic psychologist who practices in Córdoba, Spain. He was the first author to publish books about parental alienation in Spanish and Portu- guese. For example, SAP: Síndrome de Alienación Parental. Dr. Aguilar is a researcher for the Ombudsman for Children in Madrid, Spain. Website: www.jmaguilar.com. Email: [email protected]. Clemens Åhfeldt, MBA, B.A., is an entrepreneur from Stockholm, Sweden. Mr. Åhfeldt is dedicated to VBU (PappaBarn), Sweden, a non-profit organisation advocating for children’s rights to both par- ents. Mr. Åhfeldt experienced how his daughter gradually faded away during a four-year cus- tody battle. Neither social services nor the courts considered the possibility that the daughter had been manipulated. Website for PappaBarn: https://www.pappabarn.se. Email: [email protected]. Rabbi Yaakov Aichenbaum, M.A. Special Education and Elementary Education, a Judaic studies reading and learning specialist in Baltimore, Maryland, has experienced parental alienation in his own family. Rabbi Aichenbaum educates targeted parents, clergy, and the mental health and legal professions about the red flags of parental alienation. He is particularly interested in educating the Jewish orthodox Rabbinical Divorce Courts about this topic. His website: https://www.thek- eytotorah.com/. Email: [email protected]. Mary Alvarez, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist in Houston, Texas, has a clinical and forensic practice. She conducted custody evaluations for the family courts and evaluated for parental alienation in those cases. Dr. Alvarez recognizes the destructive psychological effects of parental alienation on children and she regularly speaks at conferences for mental health professionals, family law attorneys, and judges concerning the role of memory, suggestibility, and sexual abuse allega- tions and parental alienation in custody cases. Websites: www.drmaryalvarez.com and www.resetting-the-family.com. Email: [email protected]. Monika-Helena Ammann-Heimgartner,
Recommended publications
  • Parental Alienation and Family Violence
    Parental Alienating Behaviors are Family Violence What is family Family violence refers to all types of abuse that occur in families, including physical, violence? sexual, psychological, and financial abuse, as well as neglect. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2013; Tolan, Gorman-Smith, & Henry, 2006 What are parental Parental alienating behaviors are a parent’s persistent use of patterns of behaviors over alienating behaviors? time to harm the child’s relationship with their other parent. Alienating parents use many different behaviors, such as badmouthing the alienated parent to the child and others, interfering with their contact, and enlisting the child as an “ally” against them. Baker, 2020; Harman, Kruk, & Hines, 2018; Harman & Matthewson, 2020 Parental alienating Making a child believe a parent abandoned and does not love them, or that the parent is behaviors are child dangerous or bad, is psychological abuse. Alienated children’s developmental needs are abuse also often neglected by alienating parents. In severe cases, children need protection from these psychologically abusive behaviors. Baker, 2020; Warshak, 2015 Parental alienating Parental alienating behaviors are direct and indirect attacks made by an alienating parent behaviors are intimate toward the alienated parent to harm and control them. The children are used as weapons partner violence in these attacks, and they become collateral damage in the process. Domestic violence researchers label these same behaviors as a form of coercive control. Harman, Kruk & Hines, 2018; Harman & Matthewson, 2020 Parental alienating The alienating parent’s intent is to manipulate and control the alienated parent’s actions behaviors are and outcomes. The alienated parent experiences negative outcomes if they do not coercively controlling comply with the alienating parent’s demands or threats, such as not being able to see their children.
    [Show full text]
  • Ta and Milton Erickson. by Marnie Mcgann
    Table of Contents President’s Letter Martin Wall I start this letter with a meditation on per- ethical use of hypnosis to those ends. I spective, an image of earth taken from am always encouraged by the contacts I the outer edges of our solar system and have with our constituent societies, be- a quote from Carl Sagan – “…. a mote cause it reminds me every time that the- of dust, suspended in a sunbeam." re is a consistent wish to be part of so- We live in interesting times and as Euro- mething more than is encompassed in peans we watch as our cooperative their national boundaries. I am in full unity is threatened by fear, anxiety and agreement with Professor Loriedo’s political agenda. We are a European So- views, expressed in the last NL, with re- ciety of health care professionals who gard to enabling international joint re- are ethically and professionally commit- search projects, and to the setting of in- ted to caring for all who need our skills ternational standards in training and with kindness and compassion. I believe competency. These are ambitious and that a primary role of ESH is to support complex ambitions of course, but every all of our members in the effective and journey starts with the first step, and I 2 want to share with you some of the our members, and also with an ambition steps ESH is taking. to form a ‘research hub’, with facilities for collecting and exchanging data and • Research ideas between our international consti- We are proposing to engage ECH hol- tuencies.
    [Show full text]
  • An Attachment-Based Model of Parental Alienation: Foundations
    An Attachment-Based Model of Parental Alienation: Foundations C.A. Childress, Psy.D. Oaksong Press An Attachment-Based Model of Parental Alienation: Foundations Oaksong Press. Claremont, California Copyright © 2015 Craig Childress Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-9961145-0-9 All Rights Reserved. Contents Introduction: Paradigm Shift 1 Part I: Family Systems Level Chapter 1 Family Transitions 24 Chapter 2 Barriers to Family Transitions 39 Part II: Personality Disorder Level Chapter 3 Personality and Attachment 58 Chapter 4 The Driving Engine of Alienation 70 Chapter 5 The Role-Reversal Core 88 Chapter 6 Inducing Symptoms 119 Part III: Attachment System Level Chapter 7 The Trauma Reenactment Narrative 200 Chapter 8 The Child’s Experience 259 Part IV: Professional Issues Chapter 9 Diagnosis 292 Chapter 10 Treatment 315 Chapter 11 Professional Competence 337 Chapter 12 Conclusion 354 Introduction PARADIGM SHIFT The Current Paradigm The term “parental alienation” is used in discussions by mental health and legal professionals to characterize a set of family dynamics in which a child is influenced by one parent into rejecting a relationship with the other parent, who is otherwise a normal-range and affectionally available parent. This type of negative parental influence on the child typically occurs following a divorce, although the processes of the child’s “alienation” can begin while the family is still intact and before the actual divorce occurs. “Parental alienation” is often alleged in high-conflict custody disputes in which the parents can battle for years over custody issues surrounding the children, co-parenting, and visitation. However, despite the term “parental alienation” being used in professional contexts, the actual construct lacks a defined meaning within clinical psychology.
    [Show full text]
  • Parental Alienation
    PARENTAL ALIENTATION A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE Ackerman, M. J. (1995). Clinician’s guide to child custody evaluations. New York: John Wiley. Ackerman, M. J., & Kane, A. W. (1998). Psychological experts in divorce actions (3rd ed.). New York: Aspen Law and Business. Ackerman, N. A. (1956). Interlocking pathology in family relationships. In S. Redo & G. Daniels (Eds.), Changing concepts of psychoanalytic medicine (pp. 135–150). New York: Grune & Stratton. Ackerman, N. A. (1958). The psychodynamics of family life. New York: Basic Books. Acocella, J. (1998, April 6). The politics of hysteria. The New Yorker, pp. 64–79. Adams, K. (2009). The parentectomy: An individual perspective on rising above parental alienation. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Publishing. Aguilar, J. M. (2004). S.A.P.: Síndrome de aliénation parental [PAS: Parental aliénation syndrome] [Spanish]. Cordova, Spain: Almuzara. Aguilar, J. M. (2005, October-December). El uso de los hijos en los procesos de sep- aración: El síndrome de alienación parental [The use of children in separation processes: The parental alienation syndrome] [Spanish]. Revista de Derecho de Familia (29), 71–82. Aguilar, J. M. (2007). Interferencias de las relaciones paterno filiales. El síndrome de alienación parental y las nuevas formas de violencia contra la infancia [Interference of the parent-child relationships. Parental alienation syndrome and new forms of violence against children] [Spanish]. Revista Psicología Educativa, 13(2), 101–116. Aguilar, J. M. (2008). Tenemos que hablar [We need to talk] [Spanish]. Madrid, Spain: Santillana Ediciones Generales. Aguilar, J. M. (2008). Síndrome de alienaçào parental [Parental alienation syndrome] [Portuguese]. Lisbon, Portugal: Caleidoscopio. Ahrons, C. R., & Rodgers, R.
    [Show full text]
  • Relocation and Leave to Remove the Need for a New Approach in Relocation Related Family Law
    Child Welfare Needs and Rights Relocation and Leave to Remove The need for a new approach in relocation related family law A Report by The Custody Minefield The UK’s leading internet based information resource on relocation, leave to remove and shared residence www.thecustodyminefield.com Foreword by Sir Bob Geldof December 2009 Foreword I can hardly read the literature on Family Law without simultaneous feelings of an awful sadness and profound rage. Sadness at what has been done to our children and their families and deep rage for our Family Courts and the inadequate practitioners that work within it. In the near future the Family Law under which we endure will be seen as barbaric, criminally damaging, abusive, neglectful, harmful to society, the family, the parents and the children in whose name it purports to act. It is beyond scrutiny or criticism and like a secret society its members – the judges, lawyers, social and child “care” agencies behave like any closed vested interest and protect each others’ backs. The court is entirely informed by outdated social engineering models and contemporary attitudes rather than fact, precedent rather than common sense and modish unproven nostrums rather than present day realities. It is a disgraceful mess. A farrago of cod professionalism and faux concern largely predicated on nonsensical social guff, mumbo-jumbo and psycho-babble. Dangling at the other end of this are the lives of thousands of British children and their families. Here is one more report that empirically nails the obvious fact that to remove a child from their father (in the hugely vast majority of cases), their grandparents and other family, their school and friends, is wholly destructive to a child and its family.
    [Show full text]
  • The Admissibility of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Kimberley J
    Vol. 32, 2019 Parental Alienation Syndrome 53 Under the Microscope: The Admissibility of Parental Alienation Syndrome by Kimberley J. Joyce* I. Introduction Call it the Theory of A-B-C: a controversial model of paren- tal alienation which has at its center a very specific causal rela- tionship between systematic programming by a “favored” parent (the “A”) and manifestations of that programming in a child’s behaviors (the “B”), with a judicially-imposed remedy (the “C”)1 of transferring custody from the “targeted” parent and isolating the child from the “favored” parent.2 The argument that paren- * Kimberley Joyce is a family law trial attorney in Wellesley, Massachu- setts, and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts state courts and before the U.S. District Court, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Joyce is a member of the Family Law sections of both the Massachu- setts and Boston Bar Associations and is Chair of the MBA’s Family Law Sec- tion Council. 1 The conceptual use of a Theory of A-B-C is drawn from psychologist Albert Ellis who developed a cognitive-behavioral theory that explains emo- tional disturbance (hence the metaphor) structured in an ABC format: “Typi- cally, the emotional and behavioral Consequence (C) is what an individual seeks assistance for and they often assume that the Activating event (A) which had preceded the (C) actually caused it.” Mark D. Terjesen, et al. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with Children and Adolescents: Theory, Ap- plications, and Research, 20 NYS PSYCHOL. 13, 13 (2009).
    [Show full text]
  • FAMILIES NEED FATHERS – SCOTLAND Both Parents Matter Feumaidh Na Teaghlaichean Athair Alba Tha an Dà Phàrant Cudrom
    FAMILIES NEED FATHERS – SCOTLAND Both Parents Matter Feumaidh na Teaghlaichean Athair Alba Tha an Dà Phàrant Cudrom 10 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AA 0131 557 2440 [email protected] Families Need Fathers Scotland submission to the Education and Skills Committee enquiry: The Children's Hearing System ‐ Taking Stock of Reforms Introduction Families Need Fathers Scotland is a Scottish charity supporting separated parents and their families who are facing child contact problems. We run five monthly group meetings in Aberdeen, Paisley, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling and have recently instituted a monthly 'virtual group' to bring together individuals in remote areas or in other jurisdictions. In addition we receive enquiries by telephone and e mail. The number of enquiries has grown each year and is now exceeding 3,500 a year. The majority of those who contact us are non‐resident fathers but a significant proportion of our requests for help and information come from mothers, new partners, aunts/uncles and grandparents. Childrens Hearings Enquiries about Children's Hearings represent only a small proportion of enquiries to FNF Scotland but generally raise the same four points: Lack of clarity about relevant person status FNF Scotland did respond to the 2011 consultation on “various pieces of secondary legislation”. We only submitted one paragraph impressing the need for clarification of the definition of 'relevant person' to cover all of those with an active parenting role in the life of children who have been brought to the attention of the childrens hearing. Unfortunately, this is still an issue that arises. We have had an example where the father had a long term role as parent of a child/children who are not biologically his and who is not married to the mother and who therefore fell outside the definition of 'parent' even though he had a contribution to make to the care and welfare of the children.
    [Show full text]
  • AUSTRALIAN FIRST Ekkanites FASHION PARADES
    2015 SPECIAL THE OFFICIAL QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE RNA EKKA EDITION PG NEW FIREWORKS FINALE 05 AUSTRALIAN FIRST EkkaNITES PG FASHION PARADES 07 TAKEN TO DAZZLING NEW HEIGHTS Showbiz Special Ekka edition 2015 Contents THE MAIN EVENT 06 NEWS IN BRIEF 04 03 12 NEW TO EKKA 07 PALATE DINOSAUR ADVENTURES 09 14 08 Welcome For 138 years the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) Ekka guests will once again enjoy the state-of-the-art Royal has been bringing the country and city together International Convention Centre, which will be home to high end fashion, non-stop entertainment, the critically to showcase and champion Australian agriculture. acclaimed Royal Queensland Steakhouse, the cat ‘best in Queensland’s largest and most loved annual event, show’ competition, the popular Fine Arts display and the Ekka, will welcome more than 400,000 people Queensland’s best fruit and vegetable exhibits. through the gates to see the best of our state. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our hard working Last year the show ran over two full weekends giving visitors Ekka staff, stewards and judges, volunteers, sponsors and more opportunity than ever before to experience the show. partners who all play an essential part in staging this iconic This will continue again in 2015 from the 7-16 August. event. This year’s Ekka will provide great value for families with its I look forward to welcoming our RNA members, Ekka ticket value packs, free activities and samples and cheap exhibitors, competitors, volunteers and visitors to this year’s travel to the show.
    [Show full text]
  • The Concept of Alienation Has Generated a Great Deal of Heat but A
    Alienation and Attachment 1 Running head: PARENTAL ALIENATION AND ATTACHMENT THEORY Parental Alienation in Light of Attachment Theory: Consideration of the Broader Implications for Child Development, Clinical Practice, and Forensic Process Benjamin D. Garber HealthyParent.com Submitted: July 7, 2004 Revised: July 21, 2004 Revised: July 25, 2004 Accepted: July 25, 2004 This article is © 2004 Benjamin D. Garber, Ph.D. and has been accepted for publication in the December, 2004, issue of the Journal of Child Custody. As such, this manuscript may not be quoted, duplicated or otherwise communicated without the author’s written permission. For more information contact Dr. Garber at [email protected] or the Journal of Child Custody at http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=J190. Alienation and Attachment 2 Abstract Few ideas have captured the attention and charged the emotions of the public, of mental health and legal professionals as thoroughly as the concept of parental alienation and Gardner’s (1987) Parental Alienation Syndrome. For all of this controversy, the alienation concept stands outside developmental theory and without firm empirical support. The present paper explores alienation and its conceptual counterpart, alignment, as the necessary and natural tools of child-caregiver attachment (Ainsworth & Wittig, 1969; Bowlby, 1969) and of family system cohesion. This conceptual foundation offers developmentalists, clinicians, and family law professionals alike a common language and valuable instruments with which to understand those relatively infrequent but highly charged circumstances in which these tools are used as weapons, particularly in the context of contested custody litigation. The need to establish baseline measures, child-centered interventions, and legal remedies anchored in the attachment model is discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • How Do County Courts Share the Care of Children
    HOW DO COUNTY COURTS SHARE THE CARE OF CHILDREN BETWEEN PARENTS? FULL REPORT May 2015 Dr Maebh Harding, University of Warwick Dr Annika Newnham, University of Reading ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to express our gratitude to a number of people whose support and encouragement made this project possible. We are extremely grateful for the funding provided by the Nuffield Foundation and for the support and expert insight given by Sharon Witherspoon and Teresa Williams. We are also grateful to Frances Bright for her help in the production of this report and her advice on dissemination of the project’s findings. We would like to thank HMCTS for granting us permission to access the court files and in particular to Adam Lennon. We would also like to thank Denis Jones from Cafcass for his assistance and advice. We are extremely grateful to the court staff at the five locations visited in the report for locating the files and facilitating our visits. Throughout the project we have had the privilege of substantive and methodological guidance from our Advisory Group and would like to express our gratitude to Mavis Maclean (Oxford) Robert George (Oxford), Phillippa Newis (Gingerbread), Ross Jones (Families Need Fathers), David Allison (Family Law in Partnership LLP), Michelle Diver (Ministry of Justice) and Sarah Quartermain (Ministry of Justice) for their valuable insights. Additional thanks are extended to Professor Joan Hunt, Professor Judith Masson and Jo Miles who provided helpful comments on early drafts of the full report. Finally we must thank our colleagues at the University of Portsmouth, University of Warwick and the University of Reading for supporting the completion of our work on the project.
    [Show full text]
  • Arguments Against Lesbian and Gay Parenting
    Women’s Studies International Forum, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 555–570, 2001 Copyright © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd Pergamon Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0277-5395/01/$–see front matter PII S0277-5395(01)00193-5 WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? ARGUMENTS AGAINST LESBIAN AND GAY PARENTING Victoria Clarke Loughborough University, Women’s Studies Research Group, Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE 113TU, UK Synopsis — In this article, I explore arguments commonly used to support the claim that lesbians and gay men should not be parents. Thematic analysis of recent media representations of lesbian and gay parenting and six focus groups with university students highlighted the repeated use of a number of ar- guments to oppose lesbian and gay parenting. I critically discuss the six most prevalent in this article. These are: (1) “The bible tells me that lesbian and gay parenting is a sin”; (2) “Lesbian and gay parent- ing is unnatural”; (3) “Lesbian and gay parents are selfish because they ignore ‘the best interests of the child’”; (4) “Children in lesbian and gay families lack appropriate role models”; (5) Children in lesbian and gay families grow up lesbian and gay; and (6) “Children in lesbian and gay families get bullied.” I examine these themes in relation to other debates about lesbian and gay and women’s rights, and high- light the ways in which they reinforce a heterosexual norm. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re- served. INTRODUCTION from feminist research and theorising on mar- ginal parenting in this paper, by focusing on Feminist research has noted that while moth- the construction of lesbians and gay men as in- erhood is socially constructed as fulfilling and appropriate parents.
    [Show full text]
  • International Scientific Conference on Best Interest of the Child and Shared Parenting
    INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD AND SHARED PARENTING. DECEMBER 2-3, 2019. MÁLAGA, SPAIN ABSTRACTS WORKSHOPS Workshop 1A Best interest of the child and shared parenting SHARED PARENTING VS. CHANGE OF ADDRESS OF A PROGENITOR1 María Dolores Cano Hurtado Article 19 of the Constitution recognizes that Spanish have the right to freely choose their residence and to move through the national territory. They also have the right to freely enter and leave Spain under the terms established by law. Therefore, in the Constitutional text this right is set to freely determine the address where the person considers for various reasons (work, family, emotional ...). However, the marital domicile will be determined by mutual agreement and in case of discrepancy, as stated in article 70 of the Civil Code, the judge will resolve taking into account the family's interest. From the combination of both articles, we can affirm that when the family remains united in an atmosphere of harmonious coexistence there will be no problem, although there are minor children, to adopt the decision that best responds to the interests of all its members, modifying the address as many times they believe convenient, inside or outside the national territory. However, the problem is generated in cases of cessation of conjugal or couple living, where it will have been fixed, either by regulatory agreement legally approved, or failing that by judicial resolution, among other aspects, the exercise of parental rights , guard and custody, and where appropriate the regime of stays and visits for the non-custodial parent. Obviously, if the shared parenting system had been accepted, given its characteristics, this change of address (sometimes caused by parental alienation) in many cases will make its continuity unfeasible.
    [Show full text]