Truth is Not a ‘Patriarchal Construct:’ Feminists Should Accept the Science of PA

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Henry Herrera

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

Truth is Not a ‘Patriarchal Construct:’ Feminists Should Accept the Science of PA

April 24, 2025 – Feminists do not believe in the notion of “objective truth.” Rather, feminist ideology holds that the way truth is defined and disseminated is a ploy that is designed to uphold the so-called “patriarchy.” (1)

Feminist Judith Butler once asserted, for example, that the question of what constitutes the ‘truth’ of gender cannot be answered without reference to the power relations that produce and sustain certain truths over others (2).

Accordingly, feminists feel free to invent their own version of the truth, which often bears little relationship to scientifically established facts. A good example is how feminists deny or distort the problem of Parental Alienation (PA).

Parental Alienation is a severe form of child abuse in which one parent seeks to cut off the child from the other parent, often during the course of a child custody dispute (3). PA occurs in 11-15% of divorces involving children, according to one analysis (4).

Parental Alienation can cause a child to experience low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, attachment problems, and more (5). Hundreds of research studies confirm the global reach of PA (6). In response, laws have been passed in Brazil, Mexico, India, and elsewhere, and numerous legal decisions have sought to curb the scourge of Parental Alienation.

But incredibly, many feminists flatly deny the science of Parental Alienation.

For example, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem published a report, “Custody, Violence against Women and Violence Against Children,” for consideration by the UN Human Rights Council (7). Her 2023 report rejects the existence of PA, deriding the condition as an “unscientific pseudo-concept.”

Alsalem’s report triggered so much criticism (8) that the Human Rights Council declined to endorse the flawed document.

Then the feminist-inspired SHERA Research Group in England proposed a new version of PA denial. SHERA acknowledged that Parental Alienation actually does exist, but only fathers engage in this behavior. So in October, 2023 they began to urge courts to use the new term, “Child and Mother Sabotage” (9).

But the SHERA proposal has fallen flat. Eighteen months later, not a single court is reported to be using the misleading “Child and Mother Sabotage” nomenclature.

In recognition of the severe effects and global reach of Parental Alienation, Friday, April 25 has been designated as Parental Alienation Awareness Day, with groups around the world holding events to promote public awareness of the problem (10).

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 185 member organizations from 38 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/davia/

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