NEWS RELEASE
YELLOW BRICK HOUSE
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On April 25, various mayors in Ontario ceremoniously issued proclamations for Parental Alienation Awareness Day. They made public statements signaling support, linking “parental alienation” to child abuse, domestic violence, and even false allegations.
Today, Yellow Brick House will be joining forces with violence against women advocates, lawyers, and researchers across Ontario to speak out and express our outrage when elected officials amplify harmful misconceptions about the controversial concept of 'parental alienation' often promoted by men with abusive histories to rationalize access to their children.
This morning we reached out to all nine mayors in York Region asking them to join forces with advocates, lawyers, and researchers on May 4, 2021 as we Debunk Harmful Misogynistic Junk Science known as parental alienation.
While many families navigate high-conflict and challenging divorces and family court processes, parental alienation is predominantly raised by individuals who have restraining orders and/or allegations of abuse against them. Couched in the language of protecting children and families, it functions to cast doubt on survivors’ testimonies, disclosures, and legitimate safety concerns.
Not only has parental alienation been applied to undermine survivors, but it harms children whose own experiences of witnessing or experiencing abuse are discredited by its use. Rather than working with community supports to develop effective co-parenting and safety strategies, parental alienation sends confusing messages that erode a child’s trust in parents, families, as well as society’s systems and institutions. Claims of parental alienation only prolong and increase trauma and disrupt processes of closure and healing that allow children to move on.
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