The Domestic Abuse Bill: Should It Include Parental Alienation?

The new Domestic Abuse Bill is currently being reviewed in the Parliament. People have many expectations from it, for it’s the first time that a proposed domestic abuse bill includes a statutory definition for the much maligned evil that plagues our society.

The Bill specifically underpins manipulative non-physical behaviour and economic deprivation as abusive conduct.

Lawmakers say the Bill will enable everyone to better understand what constitutes domestic abuse and will encourage more victims to raise their voice.

But, does the definition of domestic abuse, as proposed in the Bill, need to be more inclusive of other forms of oppressions, like parental alienation?

Parental Alienation and Domestic Abuse

Parental alienation refers to a situation where one parent uses strategies to isolate a child from the other parent.

For example, a father may tell his child that their mother prefers her new family to them. Or a mother may tell her child that their father hates them.

The allegations can be mild, or they can be incredibly severe. They can be true, or they can be false. Regardless, the relationship between the child and the parent suffers.

So how does this qualify as domestic abuse?

Psychology experts believe that alienating a parent from their child indirectly regulates the behaviour of the non-custodial parent and punishes them. The child might not want to talk to the parent, which could leave the parent in a disturbed state.

This is a clear case of coercive and controlling behaviour, and as such, it should be deemed as a form of domestic abuse.

Organizations like the Mankind Initiative have already submitted their recommendation to the Government to review the Bill and add parental alienation to the statutory definition of domestic abuse.

Whether the Government acts on their recommendation, remains to be seen.

As always, Wembley Solicitors will keep you updated on the developments as they unfold.

Wembley Solicitors is your trusted UK legal firm specializing in family law, children law, immigration law, personal injury law, landlord and tenant law and other areas of law. We have extensive experience of dealing with legal disputes and have successfully helped our clients find solutions to their many legal problems. Contact us today to discuss your legal matter.