Tomorrow, Saturday, the 25th of April, is the World Day dedicated to Parental Alienation.

Non-Governmental Organisation Happy Parenting – Malta (for Happier Children) said that it is joining the rest of the countries around the globe to “not just commemorate this painful reality, but also to educate about this phenomenon.”

In parallel to the voluntary work carried out by numerous professionals supporting it, the NGO explained that it is spreading a “positive message in favour of the unitedness of couples in their relationship and the positive parenting of their children, who no one is to temper with their healthy childhood and their living experience of both parents.”

The NGO said that in cases of troubled relationships, especially when children are involved, the couple is encouraged to make a distinction between the adults’ role as partners in the relationship and their parenting role.

In cases when the adults see no light at the end of the tunnel, they are highly encouraged to seek professional help of Family Therapists or other professionals offering Psychotherapy or Counselling, it said.

The NGO said that “unfortunately, in some cases, reality is more sensitive due to mental health issues at stake, making way for further multi-disciplinary support of professionals like psychiatrists.”

Parental alienation, the NGO explained, is a form of domestic violence and psychological and emotional abuse, and occurs when one of the parents or a family member “systemically removes a parent from the child’s life through malicious and subtle manipulation, making the child to unjustifiably reject, disrespect, limit contact with and possibly making false allegations against the other parent.”

Parental Alienation causes a lot of “psychological and emotional harm to children, effecting their developmental progress and their ability to relate with others, especially in future relationships,” the NGO said. “Not to mention the suffering caused to parent victims. Less than a year ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged this as a mental health issue.”

Although Parental Alienation is carried out by both male and female parents, in the majority of cases, around 80% of the victims are fathers, possibly due to the traditional culture of courts giving mothers the custody of their children, the NGO said.

During the last twelve months, Happy Parenting – Malta (for Happier Children) was registered as an NGO, aiming at educating and offering professional support to victims.

It explained that this happens through regular support groups meetings of the NGO’s officials with victims (women, men, children, and other family members)and professionals voluntarily contributing by the sharing of their expertise.Anthony Cauchi, Parental Alienation Support Group Leader within this NGO, himself a victim of this reality, confirmed that through the NGO’s work with its members in Malta, “around 90% of the victims are men.”

To contact Happy Parenting – Malta (for Happier Children) please message through its Facebook page, to text or call on 99565730.

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