“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
― Albert Einstein
The American Psychological Association is allowing the psychological abuse of children. The APA is aware of the rampant and unchecked professional violations of ethical code standards in forensic psychology that are destroying the lives of children and families… and the APA is silent.
On June 6, 2018, a delegation of parents led by Wendy Perry, Rod McCall, and Dr. Childress presented the American Psychological Association with the Petition to the APA signed by over 19,000 parents making the American Psychological Association aware of the rampant and unchecked violations of the APA ethics code within forensic psychology. The American Psychological Association is now on the clock for its complicity with the psychological abuse of children. The APA must act to end the extensive ethical code violations within forensic psychology, or become complicit.
The Petition to the APA, signed by over 19,000 parents was delivered to the APA pursuant to the ethical obligations of Dr. Childress under Standard 1.05 of the APA ethics code to take appropriate action when he becomes aware of ethical code violations that are not appropriate for or cannot be resolved through informal methods:
Standard 1.05
If an apparent ethical violation has substantially harmed or is likely to substantially harm a person or organization and is not appropriate for informal resolution under Standard 1.04, Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations, or is not resolved properly in that fashion, psychologists take further action appropriate to the situation. Such action might include referral to state or national committees on professional ethics, to state licensing boards, or to the appropriate institutional authorities.
The violations of ethical Standards alleged in the Petition to the APA are:
Standard 2.01a – Boundaries of Competence
Standard 9.01a – Competence in Assessment
Standard 3.04 – Avoiding Harm to the Client
Standard 2.03 – Maintaining Competence
Articles 1 and 2 of the Petition to the APA establish the foundations for the allegations of ethical code violations.
Article 3 of the Petition to the APA describes the ethical code violations.
Article 4 of the Petition to the APA makes the demands for remedy:
1.) Immediate Press Release: An immediate press release from the APA expressing their support for Standard 2.01a of the APA ethics code requiring professional competence.
2.) Special Population Designation: A change to the official APA position statement on “parental alienation” to acknowledge that the pathology of a narcissistic-borderline personality parent surrounding divorce exists, and designating children and families in high-conflict court-involved divorce as a “special population” requiring specialized professional knowledge and expertise to assess, diagnose, and treat.
3.) Conference of Experts: To convene a conference of experts in the attachment system, personality disorder pathology, family systems therapy, and complex trauma to produce a white paper on attachment-related pathology surrounding divorce, and then to convene a second conference of experts to examine the role of professional psychology with the family courts in child custody decision-making.
The allegations made in the Petition to the APA, signed by over 19,000 parents, of widespread and unchecked violations of ethical code Standards surrounding high-conflict divorce need to be addressed by the APA. Continued silence and inaction by the APA now that they have been made aware of the allegations through the Petition to the APA, signed by over 19,000 parents, represents complicity in the psychological abuse of children.
Silence in response to ethical code violations is complicity.
Silence in response to the rampant and unchecked psychological abuse of children by narcissistic and borderline personality parents is complicity with the psychological abuse of children.
Silence in response to the wholesale destruction of families and the lives of children by forensic psychology is complicity with this devastation and harm.