Parentectomy

A parentectomy is, and this is my own definition, when one parent wages a campaign of denigration against the other parent and turns a child against that parent through the use of lies, exaggeration, manipulation, threatened loss of love and care, or other extreme methods of turning a child against their own parent. Often, the intention is to appear to be the only trustworthy and loveable parent in the child´s eyes.

I´ve heard the term used to describe what happens when a child is alienated from a parent. I think it´s an apt term, and it describes the tragedy of alienation and abduction quite well. It can occur while parents and children live in the same household, if the hostility levels are high enough. It occurs, almost by definition, in the case of abduction. My father still insists that he was simply traveling around with his child, ha! That would have to win the understatement of the year award. He abused me, misused my trust, and manipulated my innocence. I love traveling, but not for 14 years straight, with the police on our trail!