Children are Property – so the Alienating Parent thinks

Child Custody cases where the parties are fighting over the Legal Custody or Physical Custody, or both, of the child or children will always show the true colors of the parties. The heat of battle burns off the facades and the true character of the parents is what is left.

Frequently in Parental Alienation cases, where the alienator has a personality disorder such as Narcissistic or Borderline Personality Disorder what becomes apparent is that they view the child as their property. They are not really interested in the well-being of the child so much as they are interested in feeling that they have ownership of the children.

This became apparent in a case we recently handled in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The alienating parent used language that indicated they felt they owned the child outright. This became apparent in their language. In the way they spoke and wrote of the children in their declarations.

This sense of ownership is what allows them to believe that they are “saving” the child from the other parent. Because they feel that the children are owned, they are incapable of making the leap to shared parenting and that the children could find any benefit in having a relationship with the Targeted Parent.