Parental Alienation and Daubert Gatekeeping

The presentation by Dr. Bernet focuses on how to prove the scientific basis for Parental Alienation theory.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, March 8, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Fighting for Children’s Rights and the Steel Partners Foundation today announced that Dr. William Bernet will be speaking at the 2021 virtual parental alienation conference, “Helping Courts Understand the Phenomenon of Alienation.” The conference will take place on May 14-16, 2021.

When cases regarding parental alienation (PA) are heard in court, it is a difficult experience for everyone in the room. Of course, the adversarial nature of the event is painful. The outcome of the hearing can be life-changing for the child and for the parents and grandparents. One of the most challenging aspects of these hearings is educating the parents— along with the attorneys, the guardian ad litem, and the judge—regarding PA.

A fundamental question in some cases is whether to introduce the words “parental alienation” into the proceeding. Perhaps it is known that the judge or the guardian ad litem has a strong bias against PA theory. It might be better to avoid PA terminology altogether but simply explain (1) how one parent has persistently poisoned the child against the second parent and (2) how the child’s avoidance of the second parent is far out of proportion to anything that parent has done.

If a parent and their attorney decide to rely to some extent on PA theory to support their case, they usually need to think about two steps. First, they may need to prove the scientific basis for PA theory to the court and that the proposed expert is qualified to talk about PA theory. Second, they will need to prove that the facts of the case fit the criteria for identifying or diagnosing PA in their own family.

The presentation by Dr. Bernet focuses on how to prove the scientific basis for PA theory. In the United States, that is sometimes called a “Daubert hearing,” which is why the name of this presentation is “Parental Alienation and Daubert Gatekeeping.” The attorneys in the room will immediately understand what this presentation is about.

There are well-known criteria that should be addressed in a Daubert hearing. For example: Has PA theory been generally accepted by the relevant scientific community? Have practitioners and researchers published peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals regarding PA theory? Has PA theory been subjected to empirical testing that employed scientific methodology? If an attorney and their expert are well prepared, they should demonstrate to the court that PA theory fulfills these important criteria. Furthermore, it can be shown that trial courts and appellate courts in every state in the U.S. have accepted PA theory as a suitable topic for testimony in a trial regarding child custody and related issues.

William Bernet, M.D., a graduate of Holy Cross College, summa cum laude, and Harvard Medical School, is a professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is board-certified in general psychiatry, child psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. As an expert in forensic psychiatry, Dr. Bernet has testified about 300 times in 24 states. Dr. Bernet has written professional articles and book chapters on a variety of subjects, including: group and individual therapy with children and adolescents; humor in psychotherapy; forensic child psychiatry; child maltreatment; true and false allegations of abuse; satanic ritual abuse; reincarnation; child custody and visitation; parental alienation; testimony regarding behavioral genomics; and risk management. In 2007, Dr. Bernet and Judge Don R. Ash published Children of Divorce: A Practical Guide for Parents, Therapists, Attorneys, and Judges. Dr. Bernet edited Parental Alienation, DSM-5, and ICD-11, which was published in 2010. Dr. Bernet and his colleagues edited Parental Alienation: The Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals, published in 2013. He was the founder and first president of the Parental Alienation Study Group.

Registration information and conference details are available at www.familyaccessfightingforchildrensrights.org/helping-courts-understand-the-phenomenon-of-alienation-nc-conference.html.

About Family Access – Fighting for Children’s Rights

Our primary concern is the children and grandchildren and then the complete family. Sadly, the children and grandchildren who are alienated from family are being treated as pawns and property. They are neither. They are human beings, and they should not be regarded as such by their parents or any other family member. We contend that it should be illegal to use children as pawns or instruments of spiteful behavior to prevent them from interacting with ALL other family members. Our purpose and goal are to ensure the preservation of extended, traditional family relationships. In the process of this hell on earth called alienation, we need all the knowledge, support, and resources we can get to help our children and grandchildren and then ourselves. Professionals who deal with alienation in helping families will glean much from this website as well. To contact us, please email familyaccessinnc@aol.com.

About Steel Partners Foundation

Steel Partners Foundation was formed in 2001 by Warren Lichtenstein, founder and executive chairman of Steel Partners Holdings L.P. (NYSE: SPLP). Mr. Lichtenstein created Steel Partners Foundation to support philanthropic causes that are close to his heart. As a proud father of two children, he wanted to make a significant impact within the communities where he and his family lives and works, emphasizing causes related to children, education, and sports.

Family Access Elaine J Cobb
Family Access-Fighting for Children's Rights
familyaccessforchildrensrights@gmail.com