Measuring the Difference Between Parental Alienation and Parental Estrangement: The PARQ-Gap

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Child Development

Background:

• Parental alienation and realistic estrangement are distinct concepts.
• Alienated children exhibit splitting and lack ambivalence; estranged children show ambivalence due to maltreatment.
• Distinguishing between these conditions is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) can differentiate severely alienated from nonalienated children.
• To introduce and validate the PARQ-Gap score for quantifying parental rejection.
• To provide a tool for identifying parental alienation.

Main Methods:

• Administered the PARQ to 45 severely alienated and 71 nonalienated children.
• Introduced the PARQ-Gap score (Father score - Mother score).
• Analyzed the PARQ-Gap score's accuracy in distinguishing groups.

Main Results:

• The PARQ accurately identified and quantified splitting.
• A PARQ-Gap score cut point of 90 demonstrated 99% accuracy in distinguishing severely alienated from nonalienated children.
• The PARQ-Gap score effectively differentiates parental alienation from other reasons for contact refusal.

Conclusions:

• The PARQ-Gap score is a highly accurate metric for identifying parental alienation.
• This tool can assist clinicians and forensic practitioners in evaluating children.
• The PARQ-Gap offers a reliable method for distinguishing parental alienation in separating and divorced families.