TRUTH TO POWER - when separate research findings come to the SAME conclusions, we cannot ignore it.

Copy from leading Charity FNF Both Parents Matter:

The UK Parental Alienation Study 2020 has just been published. It was conducted by Good Egg Safety CIC, a leading campaigner on child safety who has worked on a wide range of social justice and community safety programmes.

The study is based on over 1,500 responses from separated parents.

It's results mirror the experience of FNF members and service users:

• Almost half report not seeing their childen for over six months, in many cases not for years
• 58% experienced breaches of court orders
• 80% experienced adverse health impact

When we reported our own survey findings, with similar results, some people suggested that this was just a group of angry fathers, even though we had several hundred similar responses. However, this larger study shows that the issue is reported heavily by mums as well as dads and has adverse wellbeing effects on children regardless of which parent is behaving selfishly or abusively.

The report identifies the kinds of abusive behaviours following family separation that wreak untold damage on tens of thousands of children every year. Behaviours included are isolating children from their fathers, mothers, grandparents and wider family, denigrating and devaluing of victim mothers and fathers and making false allegations against parents (often in front of the children).

It would not be an over-statement to say that the situation has become a child wellbeing issue of epidemic proportions. The adversarial family justice system has proved itself to be not be fit for purpose.

It takes well over half a year to conclude family proceedings - on average! Many children's arrangements take a year or even several years. The system often fails to provide early-intervention when needed and, too late, only takes enforcement action in relation to breaches of court orders in fewer than 1% of cases. And all this, before the coronavirus outbreak delayed action for children still further.

You can download it from the Parental Alienation UK website.