‘Is it a syndrome? Who cares?’ A critical discourse analysis of parental alienation in relevant England and Wales policy debates

Abstract

Domestic abuse campaigners managed to prevent parental alienation from being entrenched in the Domestic Abuse Act, 2021; yet the concept continues to be framed as a form of domestic abuse. As debates around the topic continue it is necessary to investigate how the concept has been constructed by proponents. Through critical discourse analysis this study examines key policy debates on the topic from the UK parliament and Families Need Fathers during a period in which parental alienation gained notable traction in England and Wales. It appears the success of parental alienation is dependent upon discourses that deliberately detract from critiques of the concept. Proponents fail to give a consistent definition, describing it as a form of child abuse yet depicting fathers as the primary victims. Despite declaring it a form of abuse, advocates purport false allegations of this type of crime to be widespread, presenting a conundrum into how much weight such claims should be given. These arguments are put forward in a context where parental alienation is argued to be gender-neutral while domestic abuse is understood to be a gendered crime. Overall, these discourses demonstrate a pattern of undermining the prevalence, seriousness, and gendered reality of domestic abuse.