- Children appear uneasy around target parent - they resort to "one word" answers and fail to engage openly in conversations as they previously have done
- Children are uncharacteristically rude and/or belligerent to target parent
- Access time is not occurring as agreed upon or court ordered - visitation is being unilaterally cut back by the other parent
- Hostile Aggressive Parent (HAP) parent undermines the other parent or speaks disparagingly about other parent in the presence of the children
- HAP parent starts making reference to other parent as being abusive and a risk to the children with no apparent good reason
- Allowing children to choose whether or not to visit a parent, even though the court has not empowered the parent or children to make that choice;
- Telling the children about why the marriage failed and giving them the details about the divorce or separation settlement;
- Refusing the other parent access to medical and school records or schedules of extracurricular activities;
- Blaming the other parent for not having enough money, changes in lifestyle, or other problems in the children's presence;
- Rigid enforcement of the visitation schedule for no good reason other than getting back at the other parent;
- False allegations of sexual abuse, drug and alcohol use or other illegal activities by the other parent;
- Asks the children to choose one parent over the other;
- Reminding the children that the children have good reason to feel angry toward their other parent;
- Setting up temptations that interfere with visitation;
- Giving the children the impression that having a good time on a visit will hurt the parent;
- Asking the children about the other parent's personal life;
- 'Rescuing' the children from the other parent when there is no danger.
Simply put, the parents engaging in such behavior are un-fit, abusive parents, putting their own emotional needs before those of their children.
How it happens
