{"id":20235,"date":"2025-03-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodmanray.com\/?p=20235"},"modified":"2025-05-20T17:06:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:06:05","slug":"family-justice-council-guidance-on-alienating-behaviour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodmanray.com\/ur\/news\/2025\/03\/family-justice-council-guidance-on-alienating-behaviour\/","title":{"rendered":"\u062e\u0627\u0646\u062f\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u0627\u0646\u0635\u0627\u0641 \u06a9\u0648\u0646\u0633\u0644 \u06a9\u06cc \u0637\u0631\u0641 \u0633\u06d2 \u0639\u0644\u06cc\u062d\u062f\u06af\u06cc \u067e\u0633\u0646\u062f\u0627\u0646\u06c1 \u0631\u0648\u06cc\u06d2 \u067e\u0631 \u0646\u0626\u06cc \u0631\u06c1\u0646\u0645\u0627\u0626\u06cc\u060c \u062c\u0648 \u067e\u06c1\u0644\u06d2 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u062f\u06cc\u0646 \u06a9\u06cc \u0639\u0644\u06cc\u062d\u062f\u06af\u06cc \u06a9\u06d2 \u0637\u0648\u0631 \u067e\u0631 \u06a9\u06c1\u0627 \u062c\u0627\u062a\u0627 \u062a\u06be\u0627"},"content":{"rendered":"

In December 2024, the Family Justice Council released new guidance<\/a>\u00a0on responding to a child\u2019s unexplained reluctance, resistance, or refusal (RRR) to spend time with a parent and allegations of alienating behaviour. While RRR has many potential causes, it has often been associated with Parental Alienation or, as the new guidelines describe it, Alienating Behaviour.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guidance comes from one of the largest consultations in the history of the Family Justice Council, with 96 different responses. In the foreword of the thirty-page document, Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division and Chair of the Family Justice Council, speaks to the reasoning behind the new language:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I approved this workstream for the Family Justice Council knowing how divisive this topic has become. In my view this guidance is required to ensure greater consistency of approach across the courts and to improve outcomes for children and families and to protect children and victims from litigation abuse.<\/em><\/p>\nSir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division and Chair of the Family Justice Council<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What is Parental Alienation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no statutory definition of Parental Alienation and it is now an outdated term due to its association with the pseudo-scientific term \u2018parental alienation syndrome\u2019. This syndrome is considered by the Family Justice Council to be a harmful term that can be exploited within family litigation. The term was created by Richard Gardner in 1985 and was based on his clinical observations and not scientific data. It is also not recognised by the World Health Organisation and therefore is not an accurate term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Reluctance, Resistance, or Refusal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reluctance, Resistance, or Refusal (RRR) is a term referring to behaviours relating to the reluctance, resistance, or refusal o a child in their relationship with or spending time with a parent. Reluctance, Resistance or Refusal has various causes, one of which may be alienating behaviours, however, alienating behaviour is not the only cause. Alignment and attachment issues can result in RRR without any Alienating Behaviours being perpetrated by an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples could include a child refusing face-to-face contact, a child refusing to engage with phone calls, a child asking a parent not to attend their extracurricular or academic events, or a child being unable to express positive feelings toward a parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An explanation of the Definitions & Language discussed within the new Guidance  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The guidance goes on to define the following terms that are discussed over the course of the document: <\/p>\n\n\n\n