Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 18
In the meantime, these findings may be useful to clinicians working with adults who
experienced parental alienation as a child. The participants in this study seemed to believe
that what they experienced was so unusual and idiosyncratic as to defy classification or
categorization. It is possible that utilizing the heuristic of cults may provide them with a
framework for understanding their experience and their response to it. A body of knowledge
has been developed about cult leaders and the strategies they use which may help the adult
children of parental alienation feel connected to a larger group and may provide them with a
way to think about their parents and themselves that facilitates recovery and growth.
Parents who are currently losing a child to an alienating parent may also find this framework
useful for understanding the changes they see in their children. For these reasons the
current findings should be used to spur future research and could inform practice as deemed
useful by clinicians currently working with those affected by parental alienation.
Notes
1 Other definitions of cults exist although none is definitive. See Langone (2004) and McKibben,
Lynn, and Malinoski, (2002) for a discussion of definitional issues.
2 This section was eliminated for the participants whose parents never separated/divorced.
3 Although Ofshe (1992) argues that the beliefs adopted may be situationally based and discarded
once the person is removed from the environment.
4 They also experienced other outcomes that may be unique to parental alienation (Baker, 2004).
References
Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E., Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A study of
the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Amato, P.R. (1994). Life-span adjustment to their parents‘ divorce. The Future of Children,
4, 143-165.
Baker, A.J.L. (in press). The long-term effects of parental alienation on adult children: A
qualitative research study. American Journal of Family Therapy.
Berg, B.L. (1998). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1980). Loss. New York: Basic Books.
Darnall, D. (1998). Divorce casualties: Protecting your children from parental alienation.
Dallas: Taylor Publishing.
Festinger, L. (1957). Theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press.
Gardner, R. (1998). The parental alienation syndrome: A guide for mental health and legal
professionals. Cresskill, NJ: Creative Therapeutics.
Garrity, C.B., &Baris, M.A. (1994). Caught in the middle: Protecting the children from high
conflict divorce. New York: Lexington Books.
Goldberg, L., &Goldberg, W. (1988). Psychotherapy with ex-cultists: Four case studies and
commentary. Cultic Studies Journal, 5, 193-210.
Golomb, E. (1992). Trapped in the mirror: Adult children of narcissists in their struggle for
self. NY: William Morrow.
Greenberg, J.R., &Mitchell, S.A. (1983). Object relations in psychoanalytic theory.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hassan, S. (1988). Combating cult mind control. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.
Johnston, J. (1994). High conflict divorce. The Future of Children, 4, 165-182.
Kent, S.A. (2004). Generational revolt by the adult children of first-generation members of
the children of God/family. Cultic Studies Review, 3 (1).
Kubler-Ross, E. (1997). On death and dying. New York: Scribner.
Kvale, S. (1996). InterViews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand
Oaks: Sage Publications.
In the meantime, these findings may be useful to clinicians working with adults who
experienced parental alienation as a child. The participants in this study seemed to believe
that what they experienced was so unusual and idiosyncratic as to defy classification or
categorization. It is possible that utilizing the heuristic of cults may provide them with a
framework for understanding their experience and their response to it. A body of knowledge
has been developed about cult leaders and the strategies they use which may help the adult
children of parental alienation feel connected to a larger group and may provide them with a
way to think about their parents and themselves that facilitates recovery and growth.
Parents who are currently losing a child to an alienating parent may also find this framework
useful for understanding the changes they see in their children. For these reasons the
current findings should be used to spur future research and could inform practice as deemed
useful by clinicians currently working with those affected by parental alienation.
Notes
1 Other definitions of cults exist although none is definitive. See Langone (2004) and McKibben,
Lynn, and Malinoski, (2002) for a discussion of definitional issues.
2 This section was eliminated for the participants whose parents never separated/divorced.
3 Although Ofshe (1992) argues that the beliefs adopted may be situationally based and discarded
once the person is removed from the environment.
4 They also experienced other outcomes that may be unique to parental alienation (Baker, 2004).
References
Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E., Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A study of
the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Amato, P.R. (1994). Life-span adjustment to their parents‘ divorce. The Future of Children,
4, 143-165.
Baker, A.J.L. (in press). The long-term effects of parental alienation on adult children: A
qualitative research study. American Journal of Family Therapy.
Berg, B.L. (1998). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1980). Loss. New York: Basic Books.
Darnall, D. (1998). Divorce casualties: Protecting your children from parental alienation.
Dallas: Taylor Publishing.
Festinger, L. (1957). Theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press.
Gardner, R. (1998). The parental alienation syndrome: A guide for mental health and legal
professionals. Cresskill, NJ: Creative Therapeutics.
Garrity, C.B., &Baris, M.A. (1994). Caught in the middle: Protecting the children from high
conflict divorce. New York: Lexington Books.
Goldberg, L., &Goldberg, W. (1988). Psychotherapy with ex-cultists: Four case studies and
commentary. Cultic Studies Journal, 5, 193-210.
Golomb, E. (1992). Trapped in the mirror: Adult children of narcissists in their struggle for
self. NY: William Morrow.
Greenberg, J.R., &Mitchell, S.A. (1983). Object relations in psychoanalytic theory.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hassan, S. (1988). Combating cult mind control. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.
Johnston, J. (1994). High conflict divorce. The Future of Children, 4, 165-182.
Kent, S.A. (2004). Generational revolt by the adult children of first-generation members of
the children of God/family. Cultic Studies Review, 3 (1).
Kubler-Ross, E. (1997). On death and dying. New York: Scribner.
Kvale, S. (1996). InterViews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand
Oaks: Sage Publications.
