Customer Reviews

Children Held Hostage

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I was given this book to read after 3 months of weekly counseling with my husband. It was clear to our counselor that my stepdaughter was being programmed and brainwashed for the past 14 years by her mother and step-father of 14 years. (I've been in her life for the past 8 years).

What I read was very disturbing in that it hit home in so many places. The process and definitions were clear and easily identifiable.

The book helped me understand what's been going on and how it happened. In our case the history has been many many years and the programmers'/ brainwashers' support group includes the mother, stepfather, half and step-siblings and grand- parents (among others).

I suspect that this behavior is very common in divorce situations (with children) in varying degrees. This book should be given to all parents who separate/divorce in hopes that they do better by their children and work together to put their children first.

This is the most in depth book on the market for someone in a hostile custody battle involving parental alienation syndrome. The authors have addressed significant issues in great detail. They have provided useful tools to combat the issues at hand and given hope to those embroiled in the battle.

One of the best studies of the damage of alienating parental behaviour in divorce does to children. This was a pre-cursor to Gardner's terminology of Parental Alienation Syndrome, but all that here discusses is here. This book will help many divorced
parents monitor their own behaviour, as well as help their children, with the knowledge of how the children are being impacted. Expensive, but very informative.

Children Held Hostage is the very best book for help in understanding and identifying PARENTAL ALIENATION. It should be in the hands of every Lawyer, Guardian ad Litem, Psychologist and any one working with children. It, also, is very beneficial for parents to read, who are suffering from this disorder. Parental Alienation is cruel and breaks the bond-of-love between a parent and child. Before allowing a Guardian ad Litem or others to intervene, he/she should read this book. I cannot praise it enough.
Hazel Davis, Chair
PAS Kids In Distress

I have firsthand experience with this topic, and I have worked with many victims of this type of brainwashing in my position as director of America's Stolen Children Network. I believe I've read every book on this subject and none compare to this one. This is simply the best reference available. If you are a therapist or counselor, do not consider interacting with clients of this kind without having read this book. This is the real deal!

This American Bar Association (ABA) "Section of Family Law" book is the "jewel in the crown" of the currently limited - but rapidly expanding - literature about parents who alienate a child or children against another parent. Both parents are, typically, the child's birth parents.

On its publication date (1991), this book's insights were based on research involving (1) the largest group of research subjects (700), selected from a research pool of 1,000; and (2) the greatest length of research time (up to 12 years); of of any research study ever conducted in this fledgling area. This authoritative research status, of research size and duration, probably continues to this day.

When I first read CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN, I did not know this book's subject is popularly known by the label - and short-hand term - "parental alienation syndrome," a term coined by Dr. Richard A. Garner. Dr. Garner, a child psychiatrist, who recognized this problem in his private practice, and became a prolific author in publicizing this "family" problem.

Unfortunately, particularly for the psychological "best interests" of alienated children, the "syndrome" component of Dr. Garner's "parental alienation syndrome" label has become rallying point of certain feminist advocates, whose polemics attack application of "syndrome" to this child alienation problem, on the grounds that child alienation problems do not qualify as a medical "syndrome." This ridiculously specious argument attempts to totally deflect attention from - and to completely discredit - the nature and existence of this extremely disturbing child alienation problem, which is harmful not only to children, but also to "targeted" or "rejected" parents.

CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN is a powerful answer to feminist activists who seek to discredit the nature and existence of the "child alienation" problem. Feminist polemics can rant about utilizing the term "syndrome" to describe child alienation from a parent, but feminist polemics cannot legitimately attack the existence of the facts, or the powerful implications of those facts, regarding the nature and existence of this harmful problem.

CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN not only identifies the compelling facts revealed by Dr. Clawar's and Ms. Rivlan's research, but also validly characterize (1) the CONDITIONS (child "brainwashing" and child "programming") revealed by these research facts, and (2) the alienating parents' MOTIVES ("holding children hostage") and alienation methodologies, which enable alienating parents to CONTROL alienated children for their own purposes - to the detriment of the "best interests" of alienated children.

If feminist polemics did attempt to attack the facts about child alienation - e.g., child "brainwashing" and child "programming" - rather than attacking the label "syndrome," feminist polemics would effectively draw attention to the very problem which these DISTRACTING feminist polemics attempt to DEFLECT and AVOID.

CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN deftly avoids the reprehensible polemics of the "syndrome" issue. However, this avoidance may have an unfortunate consequence: restricting public awareness of this book. By not using Dr. Garner's term, "parental alienation syndrome," Internet searches about the "parental alienation syndrome" will not disclose the existence of Dr. Clawar's and Ms. Rivlin's authoritative book.

Parenthetically, Dr. Richard A. Garner's books about child alienation complement Dr. Clawar's and Ms. Rivlin's book. However, CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN, is not cited in Dr. Richard A. Garner's principal book, THE PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME - a curious omission.

AMAZON.com's website states that CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN has only been cited in two other books, indicating the lack of public awareness of this authoritative book.

The research underlying Dr. Clawar's and Ms. Rivlin's book is focused entirely on child alienation which occurs in child custody cases. However, as a "rejected" parent, I know that the problems of child alienation can also arise long before these child alienation problems polarize into child custody litigation, which is typically brought by the CONTROLLING parent. Indeed, as in my case, child control and child alienation issues were the principal cause of marital discord.

As a concluding observation, the research findings and implications of CHILDREN HELD HOSTAGE: DEALING WITH PROGRAMMED AND BRAINWASHED CHILDREN are also of great value and potential utilization by professions engaged in marital counseling, as with conflicted families.