Unfounded Rationalisation - Eight Facets of Parental Alienation
Posted on 12th August 2023
Eight Facets of Parental Alienation - 2: Unfounded Rationalisation
Unfounded rationalisation in the context of parental alienation refers to the process by which an alienating parent justifies their behaviour, often to themselves, in order to validate their actions of denigrating the other parent and alienating the child. It involves creating or adopting beliefs, excuses, or explanations that support their campaign of alienation, despite lacking factual basis or sound reasoning. The alienating parent may convince themselves that they are protecting the child from harm. Even in the absence of credible evidence, they may justify their actions by believing that the targeted parent is unfit or dangerous. They could perceive themselves as martyrs, sacrificing their own relationship with the child for the child’s supposed benefit. Unfounded rationalisation can involve distorting or rewriting the history of the relationship, selectively focusing on only negative incidents or reinterpreting past events in a manner that reinforces their narrative.
Share this post: