The parental alienation syndrome and violence against children

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Lely Setyawati Kurniawan
 

Udayana University, Indonesia

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is a controversial issue, but there is evidence to suggest a link between PAS and emotional abuse, which can be considered a form of child abuse. PAS is often used as a weapon by one parent to gain custody, manipulating the child to hate and reject the other parent for fabricated reasons. At the end the child will refuse the other parent and doesn’t want to meet the other parent. This condition often causes the other parent to experience emotional stress, depression due to psychological abuse. Children who are victims of PAS can experience long-term negative feelings towards their parents. They grow up different from others, experience social isolation, and eventually suffer from mental disorders. It must be admitted that PAS is actually a form of emotional abuse and domestic violence. The high number of divorce cases lately has left various problems in the future. Parents often do not obey court decisions regarding child custody. There are many embarrassing incidents committed by the parents, even though the court decision grants joint custody, he or she tries to seize full custody of the child. With full custody the parent will hide the child from the other parent forever. Isn't that a violation of children's rights? The Child Protection Law clearly states that even though custody is given to one party, the other party must still have access to meet and communicate with the children. Children who grow up in disharmonious families will avoid being faced with problems, and one day the pile of problems fills their thoughts and feelings, then various tensions, hatred, emotional pressure to emotional explosions will arise, or conversely numbness and loss of empathy, because they cannot express their feelings healthily.

Biography

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Lely Setyawati Kurniawan is from Udayana University. She has been working as a doctor since 1991 at Dr. T.C. Hillers Hospital in Maumere, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, as a government officer in the region. In the organization's field, she has joined various professional and humanitarian organizations. Her current parent organization is the Denpasar Branch PDSKJI, under IDI Denpasar's auspices. For more than 10 years she has assisted various organizations engaged in women's empowerment and child protection, at the local, national, and international levels, such as P2TP2A, LPA, PUSPA, ISPCAN, and IAFMHS.