by Gabriele Putzu
TicinoNews - 20.11.2025
Petition to recognize parental alienation as psychological abuse submitted
A 292-signature petition calls on the Grand Council to recognize parental alienation as psychological and domestic abuse. Agna: "It's a form of violence that harms children."
On International Children's Day, the Association of Parents in Childcare (AGNA) presented a petition to the Grand Council calling for the official recognition of parental alienation as a form of psychological and family abuse. The document, signed by 292 people, calls on Ticino institutions to address a phenomenon that—according to the association—silently affects many children involved in conflictual separations.
What is parental alienation?
Parental alienation occurs when one parent hinders or compromises their child's relationship with the other parent, generating rejection, fear, or mistrust. While it leaves no physical scars, it has profound effects on the child's emotional well-being. AGNA argues that this practice is a true form of psychological abuse, undermining a child's right to grow up with both parents, as enshrined in international conventions on children's rights.
No witch hunt against mothers
According to the association, some in the public debate fear that any legal recognition could turn into a "witch hunt" against mothers, automatically accusing them of manipulating their children. The association rejects this view, calling it unfounded and far from scientific evidence. No international guideline—AGNA emphasizes—attributes alienation to a single gender, nor does it assume that alienation is a typically maternal condition. The distinction between justified and induced refusal is, instead, crucial to "avoiding abuse, ideological simplifications, and distorted interpretations. The identification of the two situations is based on clinical criteria, validated studies, and observable indicators that allow professionals to understand when a child is refusing to protect themselves and when, instead, they are the victim of emotional conditioning."
The objectives
The petition has four objectives: to include parental alienation among the forms of abuse recognized by law; to promote a culture of responsible separation; to raise awareness among social, healthcare, and legal professionals to recognize the phenomenon; and to ensure that minors have balanced relationships with both parents.
"What is requested is in conflict with the guidelines"
Pronta la presa di posizione dell'Associazione Ticinese Famiglie Monoparentali e ricostituite e l’Associazione Consultorio e Casa delle donne di Lugano. "Quanto richiesto nella petizione è in chiaro contrasto con le attuali linee guida promosse anche a livello svizzero", scrivono in una nota. "Il contesto istituzionale svizzero ed europeo offre, infatti, indicazioni chiare in materia. Il GREVIO, gruppo indipendente di esperti incaricato di valutare l'applicazione della Convenzione di Istanbul in Svizzera, ha espressamente affermato che il concetto di alienazione genitoriale è 'privo di fondamento scientifico' e ha raccomandato alle autorità svizzere di informare i professionisti sul 'carattere infondato' di tale nozione e dei concetti analoghi". Non si tratta, concludono, "di negare che possano esistere situazioni di conflittualità genitoriale che influenzano negativamente i minori. Tuttavia, la griglia di lettura dell'alienazione genitoriale, che attribuisce la responsabilità a un solo genitore senza esaminare adeguatamente altri fattori, si rivela inefficace (e spesso anche controproducente per il genitore che si sente ‘alienato’), aggravando la conflittualità invece di risolverla".
