The 5-Factor Model

In previous posts I have shared about parental alienation, an occasional reader has questioned whether or not it is a real issue. They ask whether it might actually be something that parents can (falsely) claim and use as a manipulation.

The best answer I can give to these questions is to share what I have found.

When I began to explore some disturbing behaviors in a family member, I went digging to find out what was going on. Before the attorneys involved at that time or the courts and even the (original) court-appointed therapist acknowledged this as an issue; I began to suspect that we were dealing with a case of parental alienation. In my desperate attempt to understand what was going on, I discovered the work of many professionals in the area of child psychology and will be sharing their expertise and the (peer-reviewed) research that supports their work.

Today I want to share the 5-factor model, which began as the 4-factor model but was updated to include a 5th factor.

William Bernet, M.D. wrote that "The Five-Factor Model (FFM) is a method for diagnosing parental alienation by understanding and identifying the components of this mental condition." (The Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental Alienation)

What is the 5-factor model?

It is a checklist, derived from decades of research, that is used by professionals to assist them in determining if parental alienation is the reason for the behaviors in a child. This is usually needed in cases where there has been a high-conflict divorce or separation and there are accusations about one parent by the child and the other parent.

Here is the 5-factor model in brief:

1. Child(ren) are resisting contact with one parent (preferring the other one).
2. There was a prior POSITIVE relationship between child(ren) and the rejected parent.
3. There is no history of abuse or neglect by rejected parent.
4. The "preferred" parent (the one who is doing the alienating) is engaging in alienating behaviors (there's a checklist of 17 behaviors - we'll cover these in my next article).
5. The child(ren) are exhibiting the 8 behaviors of an alienated child (also a checklist available - look for this in a future article as well)

Let's explore some of the hallmarks of the contact resistance first. This can, as Dr. Amy Baker discusses in a number of interviews, present in ways beyond throwing fits about seeing the targeted/rejected parent. It can emerge as the child(ren) bringing their own food and/or drinks when on visitation, refusing to accept or ingest anything at the rejected parent's home. It can present as the child telling authorities (attorneys, therapists, others) that they "never want to see their (other) parent again" and worse.

Poorly-informed professionals (attorneys and/or therapists) will immediately pivot to "what did that parent do to the child(ren)?!?" - but that question shows their ignorance on a number of levels.

Research has demonstrated that even ABUSED children still want a relationship with their parents. For a child to vehemently insist that they "never want to see their (other parent) again" is a BIG RED FLAG that the child is being emotionally and psychologically abused, and that parental alienation is taking place.

Many alienated children will also claim to these same professionals that they "never had a close relationship" with the targeted parent. When presented with photo and video evidence as well as reminded of past experiences they will steadfastly claim that they were just playing along and were actually miserable, that the pictures don't reflect what was really going on or that other people's memories are wrong.

The history of abuse and/or neglect is fairly easy to identify for the trained therapist, as hints of poor parenting behaviors can be determined after a few sessions. The obvious place for proof is in records of law enforcement or child services involvement. In the case of parental alienation, these will very often not exist. Sometimes the alienator who is aware of the hallmarks of alienation - OR who has an unscrupulous attorney who is putting a "win" in their column over the welfare of a minor child - will try and come up with examples of neglect or abuse.

In extreme cases of desperation, these "examples" are often singular and regurgitated from an incident that took place many years (sometimes more than a decade) ago. The alienator then represents these "examples" out of context and with a dramatic flair. Thankfully, informed therapists and family court professionals can spot these fake accusations. In addition, the rejected parent who is accused of such nonsense often has bountiful proof that this is just a pathetic attempt to prove something that is not true.

Alienating a child from their parent is child abuse, and it can be charged as a felony in every state, depending on the circumstances.

From FindLaw: "Pennsylvania child abuse laws, ... fall under the criminal or penal code. The crime is broadly defined to include any type of cruelty inflicted on a child, such as mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault or exploitation, and neglect."

The courts and the mental health care community are finally catching on to this heinous form of child abuse, and taking action. Prevention is the best option, but for those families already caught up in this terrible web of pain and abuse; the remediations available through the justice system are in place to help right the wrongs perpetrated against our children by individuals who are, according to mental health experts like Craig Childress, Psy.D, mentally ill. (NOTE: it's not "both parents" when you have a narcissistic or borderline parent in the mix. There's ONE parent who is the problem).

I'll be exploring the 17 alienating behaviors in my next post.

For a detailed presentation on the psychopathology of alienating parents, check out Dr. Childress' ~2-hour presentation on parental alienation as an attachment-based model (it's from 2014 but spot on).

Until next time,...