Shame on ABC and CBS for Validating Junk Science as Real

ALBANY, NY (09/24/2008)(readMedia)-- Shame on ABC's "The View" and CBS's "Sixty Minutes". This week, both of these TV shows allowed actor Alec Baldwin to spew venom and lies about something called Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). In fact, PAS is junk science that was trumped up by the late Richard Gardner. Gardner who also believed that society should accept that fact that parents have sex with their children. Shame, shame, on ABC and CBS for allowing this tripe to be sold as real science.

Contrary to materials presented on ABC and CBS, PAS is not recognized by any valid psychological or psychiatric association as a valid syndrome or disorder. Indeed, it was developed as a litigation strategy to defend against abuse allegations in such cases as Alec Baldwin's. And PAS is almost never discussed, let alone "diagnosed," in situations other than family/divorce-court child custody cases.

It is also important to note that marital violence is a statistically significant predictor child abuse. Reputable studies have also shown that just witnessing such violence adversely impacts children.

In this context it is disturbing to realize that custody transfers to abusive parents are far from rare. Whether or not they have a history of violence, men who ask for custody of their children often get it. Even more significantly, an abusive man is more likely than a nonviolent father to seek sole custody of his children, and is just as likely or even more likely to be awarded custody as the mother.

NOW-NYS is outraged about this unbalanced reporting. Accounts of PAS should be countered by professionals with accurate and opposing information. And information should be presented about how, on a daily basis, women lose custody to abusive fathers. It is clear that mothers are the last major group the patriarchy can attack with impunity. It is time to speak out against this manner of dangerous reporting.