THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY MURT, BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, GEIST, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, KILLION, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MILLARD, MUSTIO, RAPP, READSHAW, SONNEY, SWANGER, TOOHIL, VEREB, VITALI, VULAKOVICH, WATSON, YOUNGBLOOD AND MASSER, FEBRUARY 29, 2012

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 29, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Designating the month of April 2012 as "Parental Alienation

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Parental Alienation is the psychological term used

to denote the unacceptable manipulative process used by a parent

to alienate a child from the other parent by encouraging the

child to hate that parent; and

WHEREAS, This process is most often used in the course of the

parents' divorce; and

WHEREAS, While divorce is the most common situation when

Parental Alienation is used, it also has been known to happen

during the course of unhappy marriages that do not end in

divorce, as one parent seeks the exclusive companionship and

alliance of the children or of a particular child in the family;

and

WHEREAS, Parental Alienation is a form of child abuse because

it denies a child, through cruel manipulation, a loving and

supportive relationship with both parents; and

WHEREAS, The unhappiness bred by Parental Alienation has been

known to lead to child kidnapping, murder and suicide, and such

incidents have been reported notoriously on television and in

newspapers; and

WHEREAS, Awareness of Parental Alienation and its negative

consequences will help to lessen its occurrence; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

month of April 2012 as "Parental Alienation Awareness Month" in

Pennsylvania.