Effects Of Parental Alienation: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Parental alienation is a growing concern today. Many children grow up without the care and love of their parents. As a result, there are feelings of emotional rejection felt by the children, and some lead to a life of delinquency. This research aims to discover the effects of parental alienation and coping mechanisms of alienated children toward a better life. It utilized a qualitative research method through a phenomenological approach through an interview of four alienated children. The study reveals that the participants who have experienced parental alienation suffer from internal and external behavioral problems and search for their identity after reaching adulthood, which also leads to devastating complex trauma and low self-esteem. With this, parental alienation calls for a child protection response since it can be a form of collective abuse and the custodial parents may safeguard the child’s relationship with an alienated parent to avoid negative views through counseling or focused group discussion, the Department of Social welfare and Development (DSWD) and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) can implement a Family Bridge Program an educational and experiential workshop that helps unreasonably alienated children and adolescents adjust to living with a parent they claim to hate or fear