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"
The Ticino Association of Single-Parent and Reconstituted Families and the Lugano Women's Advice and Home Association have issued a statement. "The petition's requests are in clear conflict with the current guidelines also promoted at the Swiss level," they write in a statement. "The Swiss and European institutional framework offers clear guidance on the matter. GREVIO, the independent group of experts charged with evaluating the application of the Istanbul Convention in Switzerland, has expressly stated that the concept of parental alienation is 'unfounded' and has recommended that Swiss authorities inform professionals of the 'unfounded nature' of this notion and similar concepts." This is not, they conclude, "to deny that situations of parental conflict can exist that negatively affect minors. However, the interpretation of parental alienation, which attributes responsibility to a single parent without adequately examining other factors, proves ineffective (and often even counterproductive for the parent who feels 'alienated'), aggravating the conflict rather than resolving it."
