Oral 10

[O-10-05] Engaging in parental alienation when undergoing separation and divorce

*Melina Nicole Kyranides¹, Jessica Hafetz² (1.University of Cyprus(Cyprus), 2.The University of Edinburgh(UK))

Keywords:

Parental Alienation,Parent-Child Bond Breaking Behaviors,Relational Aggression,Psychopathic Traits,Narcissistic Traits

Hostile co-parenting can escalate during separation and divorce with significant ramifications on family relationships. The purpose of the present study was to determine how relational aggression targeting the parent-child relationship (i.e., parent-child bond breaking) is associated with relational aggression targeting the co-parent (former romantic partner). The sample consisted of 396 divorced/separated parents who were co-parenting at least one child with their former partner. Participants from Cyprus, Greece and the UK completed measures assessing their engagement in different forms of relational aggression more specifically (a) towards their former romantic partner and (b) targeting the bond their former partner has with their child(ren). Additionally, parents completed self-reports assessing (c) if they experienced relational victimization from their former romantic partner, (d) if they experienced parental alienation from their child(ren), as well as (e) measures assessing maladaptive personality traits (psychopathic and narcissistic traits). Results suggest that parents who reported experiencing elevated levels of romantic relational victimization from their former romantic partners reported more frequent engagement in both forms of relational aggression. Maladaptive personality traits (both psychopathic and narcissistic traits) were linked with romantic relational aggression in the UK and Cyprus while only psychopathic traits were linked to relationally aggressive behaviors targeting the former romantic partner in the sample obtained from Greece. Interestingly only elevated psychopathic traits and if the parent reported experiencing alienation from their child(ren) were associated with elevated levels of parent-child bond-breaking behaviors and this finding was restricted to the Cyprus sample. The positive association among the two forms of relational aggression suggest that parent-child bond-breaking is best understood in the context of wider engagement in relational aggression literature, however each form of relational aggression has its unique distinctions which need to be considered when developing prevention and intervention programs.