April 25 was Parental Alienation Awareness Day. The overwhelming number of cases of parental alienation involve fathers after the breakdown of a marriage. As we reflect on our consciousness-raising events this past weekend, which focused on the general public, I’d like to take a moment to speak to the key players in the family law system, specifically the judiciary, Crown prosecutors and the Children’s Aid Society.

Judiciary

Judges are the most important piece of the parental alienation discussion. If more judges spoke out and reprimanded those who engage in alienation a clear message would be sent. Judges must also increasingly encourage shared parenting absent any clear and serious issues of harm to the child.

Crown prosecutors

In some cases the breach of a restraining has nothing more to do with the fact that the father wanted to see his child who he might not have seen in weeks or months. In some situations it is in fact the custodial mother who invites the father to see his children. If an argument breaks out the custodial mother is able to have the father arrested by simply making a phone call to the police.

Children’s Aid Society

Children’s Aid Society does not get involved in regards to parental alienation. Children’s Aid Society refuses to acknowledge that parental alienation is child abuse. The workers at the Society are ill equipped to deal with parental alienation. However, the worst of the situations are where the workers from the Society acknowledge alienation but refuse to intervene. Many of the father’s at our organization speak of the gross gender discrimination that workers from the Society apply. Wherein, the word of the custodial mother is taken at face value and the father is automatically deemed guilty. The worst of situations are where the mother is in fact the abuser yet the Society fails to step in and still views the father as the abuser.

Conclusion

Every April 25th we must spread the message of parental alienation. Only together can we work to facilitate change.