The psychological effects of Covid-19 and lockdown on parental alienation

Abstract

The COVID-19 lockdown has severed many families, where they found themselves having a limited period to decide who would live where and with whom. In other instances, it cemented the divide which already existed for the non-custodial parent. Parents found themselves in a tug-of war over the children and with courts being temporarily closed during this time, travel restrictions and lockdown regulations, it became harder to enforce custody agreements. This worked out somewhat perfectly for the parent who tried to alienate their children from the other parent. Parental alienation is a recurring problem that affects many families who are experiencing high conflict, separation and divorce. Parental alienation can be defined as a process whereby one parent undermines the child’s previously intact relationship with the other parent. It creates a situation where the alienating parent teaches the child to reject the other parent, to fear the parent and to avoid having contact with that parent. Although not much has been done to officially recognise parental alienation in South African courts, the law advocates for the best interests of the child in terms of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005.