<blockquote>"Divorce almost inevitably burdens children with greater responsibilities and makes them feel less cared for. Children of chronicaly chronically troubled parents bear a greater burden. ... The needs of the troubled parent override the developmental needs of the child, with the result that the child becomes psychologically depleted and their own emotional and social progress is crippled."</blockquote>

While the process of alienation is underway, children are subject to a tremendous conflict of loyalties, which compounds the burden of nurturing an emotionally troubled parent, particularly when the alienation is intentional. While When the parents were together, their children love loved them both, and children naturally desire for this to continue even when their parent's parents aren't together. Alienating conduct essentially asks children to pick sides, to chose one parent permanently and irrevocably over the other parent.