The conventional advice is to do nothing, that fighting fire with fire will only result in greater injury to the children. But Dr. Richard Warshak is convinced that this approach only leaves parents feeling helpless. The problems range from tainted parent-child relationships to a disturbance known as parental alienation syndrome, in which children virtually disown one of their parents.

Divorce Poison is the first book that offers specific advice to protect children from the results of their parents' animosity. Dr. Warshak details how to distinguish different types of criticism, how and why parents manipulate their children, how to detect these maneuvers, and how these practices damage children. Most important, he offers parents powerful strategies to preserve and rebuild loving relationships with their children.