Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 5
with this scale). Mild cases are characterized by some parental programming against the
targeted parent but visitation is not seriously affected and the child manages to have a
reasonably healthy relationship with both parents. In cases of moderate parental alienation
there is significant parental programming against the targeted parent and considerable
struggle around visitation. The child often has difficulty during the transition but eventually
adjusts. The child who is severely alienated is adamant about his or her hatred of the
targeted parent. The child usually refuses any contact and may threaten to run away if
forced to visit. The alienating parent and the child have an unhealthy alliance based on
shared distorted ideas about the targeted parent. When this happens and the child wholly
adopts the views of the alienating parent and severs all ties with the targeted parent, the
child is living in something akin to a cult, the cult of the alienating parent.
According to West and Langone (1986) a cult1 is a hierarchical social group in which there is
a leader who requires excessive devotion, (2) has a leader who uses emotional manipulation
and persuasion techniques to heighten dependency on him or her, and (3) furthers the aims
of the leader at the expense of its members as well as others.1 Utilizing this definition
provides a useful basis for comparing cults to the characteristics of families in which
parental alienation occurs.
Of course, most families in western cultures are hierarchical social groups. Power is not
evenly distributed among the members of the family. Parents have legal, physical, moral,
and psychological control over their children. Even parents who respect their children‘s
individuality and aim to promote competence and autonomy retain some authority over
their children. In some families, however, parents exploit their inherent authority in order to
alienate the child from the other parent. The focus of the current study was to determine
whether these alienating parents resemble cult leaders that is, do they (1) require
excessive devotion, (2) use emotional manipulation techniques to heighten dependency,
and (3) garner psychological benefits at the expense of the well being of the child. This
analysis was accomplished through the current study of interviews with adult who – when
they were children – were turned against one parent by the other.
The Study
A qualitative retrospective study was conducted in the Fall of 2004. Guidelines for
conducting qualitative research developed by Berg (1998) were utilized throughout the
study. Subjects were recruited from word of mouth and from postings on the internet.
People who responded were asked to briefly describe their situation in order to ensure that
the alienation was at least in part due to the behaviors and attitudes of the other parent.
Appointments were made with people who met this criterion. At the beginning of each
appointment it was explained that the interview was voluntary, for research purposes, and
could be stopped at any time. It was also explained that although I am a psychologist I am
not a clinician and would not be able to provide counseling. Informed consent was obtained
and the audiotape was turned on. Only one person declined to participate after the study
was explained. The recruitment flyer called for people who had been turned against one
parent as a child due to the attitudes and behaviors of the other parent. In this way, only
people who were aware that the alienation was engineered by the other parent were
included in the study. This allowed for an examination of the process by which the individual
became aware that he or she had been manipulated to become alienated, which was one
important focus of the study.
The Sample
Forty-two adults participated in the interview process (2 were subsequently removed from
data analysis because of faulty tapes). An additional two people agreed to participate but
did not follow-up. Thus, data for 40 participants are presented. Participants were between
19 and 67 years of age (M=40.4, SD=11.4) 15 were male and 25 were female. For three

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 6
fourths (n=30) the parents divorced during the participant‘s childhood and in all but six
cases the alienating parent was the mother. Basic information about the 40 participants is
provided in Table 1.
Table 1: Sample Description
ID Gender Age
at Int-
erview
Age
at Sep-
aration
Custodial
Parent
Alienating
Parent
1 Female 40 3 Mother Mother
2 Female 47 NA Both Mother
3 Female 35 12 Mother Mother
4 Female 44 NA Both Mother
5 Female 30 13 Mother Mother
6 Female 30 Birth Mother Mother
7 Male 40 9 Mother Mother
8 Female 33 3 Mother Mother
9 Male 38 5 Mother Mother
10 Female 32 2 Father Father
11 Male 43 NA Both Mother
12 Female 50 NA Both Mother
13 Female 33 NA Both Mother
14 Female 36 2 Mother Mother
15 Male 67 NA Both Father
16 Male 43 5 Mother Mother
17 Male 28 11 Father Father
18 Female 26 2 Mother Mother
19 Female 51 NA Both Mother
20 Male 48 12 Mother Father
21 Female 44 12 Mother Mother
22 Male 39 NA Both Mother
23 Female 28 3 Mother Mother
24 Male 32 NA Both Mother
25 Female 43 12 Mother Mother
26 Male 57 2 Mother Mother
27 Female 19 8 Mother Mother
28 Female 32 NA Both Father
29 Male 63 NA Both Mother
30 Male 39 2 Mother Mother
31 Female 60 Birth Mother Mother
32 Female 50 11 Mother Mother
33 Female 21 2 Mother Mother
34 Male 39 4 Mother Mother
35 Female 19 1 Mother Mother
36 Female 41 3 Mother Father
37 Male 52 8 Mother Mother
38 Male 46 2 Mother Mother
39 Female 37 Birth Mother Mother
40 Female 50 5 Mother Mother