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BACKGROUND
FAAC and FAAAC.org was established due to the adverse health effects
caused by parental alienation often as a result of prolonged, difficult
divorce situations. The toll
exacted to children’s short-term and long-term mental health is
significant as well as to the alienated parent. This organization was created to aid
fathers and their children that are going through—or, have gone
through—such a calamity.
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)
is a very real and imminent threat to the welfare of children as a
by-product of divorce. PAS
causes severe trauma, sorrow and distress among families; and, is
inherently bad for the children and people associated with its
effects. It destroys the family
unit, has long-lasting negative psychological impacts, and is simply
wrong. It violates all good,
decent parenting methods. PAS
is defined as…
“…..a disorder that arises primarily in
the context of child-custody disputes.
Its primary manifestation is the child’s campaign of denigration
against the parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a
programming (brainwashing) parent’s indoctrinations and the child’s own
contributions to the vilification of the target parent” (Gardner,
1998).
PAS has yet to be formally recognized
as a psychiatric/psychological disease condition. Yet it is pervasive in the divorce
courts across this country. PAS
ruins children’s and parents lives. PAS
knows no boundaries—it is NOT gender-specific and many fathers/male
guardians are guilty of PAS. However, the vast majority of PAS
research studies show that the primary PAS
culprits are mothers (see References).
Thus, FAAC/FAAAC.org was formed specifically to assist grieving,
abused Fathers and their abused children.
Due to the high rates of divorce in this country (now approaching
60% of all marriages in the United
States), PAS
is rising and it is becoming more a public health threat. Research shows that children subject
to PAS are more likely to use the
same tactics later in life when/if they go through a divorce or
acrimonious separation of their parents. In the short-term, some children
become delinquent, withdrawn, and in severe cases commit suicide. Long-term effects to children are
being studied through cohort programs among psychological PAS
researchers. Research shows that
many men often recoil from PAS-induced
drama resulting in absentee fatherhood which can exacerbate the problem. PAS
studies show that the alienated parent also suffers negative behavioral
effects including suicide, substance abuse, or years of denigrated
self-worth.
For rationale-minded people, such PAS
should never occur at all because at the very heart of the matter is
the welfare of the children.
Nevertheless, PAS has become
so pervasive in our society that some Judges are now issuing favorable
rulings against the alienating parent and for the alienated parent. The
problem is that in many cases, severe damage has already been done to
the children (and to the Father) and if there were a support
group/service outreach to assist Fathers and their alienated children,
the drastic effects of PAS would be
less severe in its trauma and its far-reaching short-term and long-term
ill effects.
This organization is here to serve YOU—the grieving Father and his
tainted kids (#A Principle); and, moreover to ramp up awareness
of this terrible affliction (#B Principle) that permeates our
society. One way to thwart PAS
is to promulgate laws that make PAS
a criminal violation (#C Principle). Just like physical and/or sexual
abuse of children is a criminal offense, so too should emotional abuse
via PAS be criminally
prosecuted. If such laws are
enforced, the perpetrator of such PAS,
whether it is mother or father or guardian, should think twice before
exacting its horror upon the innocent victims—the children. It is well known that PAS
parents are psychologically fragile, and when they feel threatened they
become fiercely entrenched. If
WE, together, can implement legislation making PAS
a criminal act, then surely its incidence across this country should
abate and WE all will be better for such laws that make it the crime
that it is!
We encourage you to join us in this fight.
Parental Alienation is not a gender issue. Both sexes alienate, however, the
custodial parent is usually the alienating parent and the non-custodial
parent the target parent. The
mother is usually the custodial parent.
PAS is very real and is
undermining our children’s mental health.
PAS –Are YOU a Victim? The Twelve (12) Prevalent
Questions
Below is a checklist that you should review prior to
proceeding. If the majority of
your answers are “Yes” to the below questions, you are likely a
victim of PAS abuse; and of course,
so are your kids.
1. There
is no history of abuse or violence
2. You
have never harmed your children physically, sexually, or emotionally
3. You
had- or are going through- a difficult divorce and/or separation
4. You
had- or have- a Visitation or Parenting Plan that is continually
violated
5. You
are threatened by the custodial parent of harassment for contacting
her/him
6. You
are subject to a range of (often bizarre) false allegations that
characterize you as a bad person
7. Your
children exhibit strange behavior that never occurred prior to
divorce/separation
8. Your
children align themselves with the alienating parent often fabricating
stories, or telling outright lies, and using other deceitful methods by
involving others to hurt you.
These are self-created contributions by the child in support of
the alienating parent’s campaign of denigration against the targeted
parent
9. Your
ex-spouse is a ‘taker’ rather than a ‘giver’; PAS
parents are often diagnosed as narcissistic (selfish)
10. Your
ex-spouse doesn’t play by the rules and are not likely to obey court
orders
11. Your
ex-spouse has no moral conscience; often the PAS
parent is the individual that exhibits immoral actions such as adultery
and perjury. A PAS
parent will go to great lengths to cover-up such heinous acts and because
of their hatred, the alienated target is befuddled by the continual
lying and deceit
12. Your
children collaborate with your ex-spouse. The CLINCHER is when your children
say….”I am afraid of my Father”
Please join us in this fight. The good fight must be won because it
is just and it is for our- and our children’s- rights. Being a parent is a basic human
right.
We are in the process of establishing a local
chapter (in the Kansas City, MO/KS
region) of FAAC as an outreach group to accomplish our mission. Please write us at:
info@faaac.org
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