Parental alienation and the children of gay couples

Article by Xenia KounalakiSource: KATHIMERINI, kathimerini.gr

Date: 04/02/2021

Link: https://www.kathimerini.gr/opinion/561252724/i-goneiki-apoxenosi-kai-ta-paidia-ton-gkei/"Minister of Justice Konstantinos Tsiaras likes to invoke arbitrary scientific studies and concepts. In the bill on joint custody, a purely legal text, the internationally disputed term "parental alienation" is reportedly being introduced. The aforementioned syndrome (PAS) is a controversial concept, established by child psychiatrist Richard Gardner in 1985. In his original formulation, Gardner singled out the mother as the sole parent responsible for such alienation, which led to the syndrome being readily adopted by fathers' rights associations, as is indeed happening in our country too, ahead of the bill's submission. Regardless of the instrumentalization of the term, however, the fact remains that experts in the fields of psychology, children's rights, and legal science do not accept it. PAS has been extensively criticized by legal circles and mental health experts, who believe it should not be used in child custody court cases, either by legal representatives or by psychiatric professionals. Moreover, neither the World Health Organization nor the American Psychiatric Association recognize the syndrome.

Speaking about the same bill, Mr. Tsiaras systematically repeats that "all scientific studies point to the fact that children who grow up with the physical presence of both sexes and both parents are children with fewer psychological problems."

I don't know which studies Mr. Tsiaras is reading -- certainly, if one "googles" for the research result they want, they will find the one that fits their views -- but the findings of the overwhelming majority say exactly the opposite. That children raised by same-sex parents are happier than their peers, because gay parents are more devoted and more motivated to be good at their role, because they chose it consciously. Same-sex couples rarely become parents by accident, whereas, in contrast, different-sex couples become parents without having planned it one out of every two times. On the issue of stigma, experts insist that parental love and care are far more important factors for children's happiness than social acceptance. The studies I am citing have been published for more than a decade now. On Cornell University's website there are 75 different ones, with roughly similar conclusions. Mr. Tsiaras's "all" are, for the time being, still being sought. Along with "parental alienation.""