PARENTAL ALIENATION AS AN EXTENSION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE IN THE CONTEXT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Abstract

This article analyzes parental alienation as a legal, psychosocial, and familial phenomenon that can take the form of invisible violence when occurring within contexts of domestic violence. Following a marital breakup, these conflicts can intensify when children and adolescents are used as tools of control, manipulation, or retaliation between parents. In this context, parental alienation can go beyond ordinary family conflict and take on the characteristics of psychological abuse. This study examines parental alienation as a potential continuation of domestic violence, especially when used to distance children from one parent, weaken emotional bonds, and control the former partner. The study seeks to identify how alienating behaviors can prolong violence after the end of a relationship, to understand the difficulties in recognizing and proving these practices in legal proceedings, and to propose a more technical and protective approach by the justice system. The research adopts a qualitative, descriptive, and bibliographic approach, analyzing legal norms, legal doctrine, and specialized literature. The study begins with the definition of parental alienation set forth in Law No. 12.318/2010 and examines its relationship with gender-based violence and vicarious violence, without considering these phenomena to be equivalent. It is emphasized that the application of this concept requires caution, particularly to avoid its trivialization or its automatic use against mothers who report violence. It can be concluded that certain alienating practices can cause harm to the dignity, autonomy, mental health, and family life of children, adolescents, and women, requiring an interdisciplinary analysis, respect for the best interests of the child, and the effective application of the principle of comprehensive protection.