PASG Press Release - Protecting the Integrity of Parental Alienation Theory (Issue #02)
Date of Press Release: June 8, 2026
Contact: Alan Blotcky, Ph.D.
alanblotcky@att.net
The Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG) is the largest advocacy organization in the world that promotes research, clinical practice, and education regarding parental alienation theory. Parental alienation is a mental condition that sometimes occurs when children—whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce—are influenced by one parent to avoid and fear the other parent. Thus, the “alienating parent” indoctrinates the child to fear the “alienated parent” in the family. See www.pasg.info for more information.
One of the responsibilities of PASG is to challenge and respond to false statements and misinformation regarding parental alienation theory that are published in journals and presented at professional meetings. PASG has taken a number of approaches in correcting published misinformation, depending on its content and extent.
If the misstatement is a minor and isolated occurrence, a PASG representative simply contacts the author and the editor of the journal and requests an online correction.
If there are multiple, serious instances of misinformation in an article, the journal editor typically invites PASG members to submit a commentary or a rebuttal to be published in the same journal.
If the misinformation in an article or book is pervasive—to the point of totally and falsely contradicting the well-established science—PASG leadership contacts the editors and the publisher to request that the article or book be retracted from publication. That has occurred rarely.
In January 2026, an article was published in the Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities (IJRAH) which had extensive false information regarding parental alienation theory. For example, the obviously false statements include the following:
“Gardner [who introduced the term, ‘parental alienation syndrome’ in 1985] avoided peer-review while creating an appearance of legitimate third-party validation.”
“While PAS provides a possible explanation for a breach in relationship between a child and a parent, it ignores evidence that children may have valid reasons for rejecting a parent.”
“Perhaps most significant is the consistent refusal of major medical, psychiatric, and psychological professional organizations to recognize PAS as a legitimate theory or diagnostic criterion.”
Each of those statements is completely false and can easily be refuted with citations from the parental alienation literature. The article in IJRAH was so pervasively incorrect that PASG leadership requested that it be removed from publication. PASG is concerned that this type of misinformation undermines parental alienation theory and communicates falsehoods to clinicians and researchers who are interested in this topic.
PASG leadership attempted to communicate with the editors and publisher of IJRAH but initially were ignored. However, contact was established and communication occurred that involved PASG members and representatives of the publishing company. Ultimately, in May 2026, the publishing company said:
“Please be informed that M/s Stallion Publication and the editorial team of the Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities take all matters regarding academic integrity, regulatory compliance, and public safety with the utmost seriousness. Pursuant to the demands raised in your communication and in compliance with the relevant statutory standards, we have immediately taken down and permanently removed the article titled ‘The Scientific Case Against Parental Alienation: A Critical Review’ from our website and all associated journal repositories.”
Some aspects of parental alienation theory are perceived as controversial among family law professionals, so it is understandable that writers may advocate for different opinions. However, PASG considers it necessary to correct factual misinformation that is published in journals and presented at scientific conferences. It is unusual for PASG personnel to request that an article or book be removed from publication, but occasionally the misinformation is so pervasive that retraction is the only satisfactory solution. In this case, representatives from PASG and IJRAH cooperated to protect the scientific community from blatant misinformation regarding parental alienation theory.
It is important to understand that corrections and/or retractions occur frequently in the medical and scientific world. Retraction is a reasonable corrective action when misinformation on a topic is egregious and does harm to those involved in the field. This is not an issue of censorship in any way; it is a matter of protecting the public from outright misinformation that writers and editors should not allow to be promulgated.