From an interview with Dr. Amy Baker, PA expert:
” I must admit I am a bit disappointed in the comments so far on the WDET website in response to my interview. I hate to see the conversation devolve into a gender war when the research is so clear that both mothers and fathers can be alienators. I would prefer to see attention focused on prevention (education of custody evaluators about differentiating alienation from estrangement, training attorneys in proper handling of these cases, and so forth). There is so much to agree on! See http://wdet.org/posts/2015/07/17/81018-what-is-parental-alienation-syndrome/
..and my response to those commentators questioning Dr. Baker’s approach:
Having had years of experience with PA cases, it’s my impression that what underlies PAS is a mental health issue; a pathology that resides with the alienating parent. It can be a personality disorder, or some other constellation of disorders that causes the alienating parent to see the other parent in “black and white” terms, and to view the targeted parent as deserving of malicious retribution in the form of losing a relationship with their children.
Once we accept that underlying PA is a form of pathology, we can understand that its occurrence is gender neutral, as that it presents in both men and women. I have seen it present in both genders, and I cannot say whether innocent men are targeted disproportionately to innocent women.
As Dr. Baker points out, there is so much that can be agreed upon and acted upon, that we need not spend energy arguing about which gender is more abused in a PA case. The children are the victims, and the innocent parents as well victimized, regardless of gender.