A Pirate Alienation Story” is a classic tale dedicated to Dr. Richard Gardner updated with spectacular courtroom antics and unbelievable legal loopholes that will leave single mothers stunned and abusers cheering and sneering. “Cap’n Hook” is a modern remake of Steve Spielberg’s 1991 film, “Hook” with an all star cast: Alec Baldwin as Cap’n Hook, Paris Hilton as Tinkerbell and John Edwards as middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning aka Peter Pan. This must-see film is rated “G”, in the best interest of the children, of course. 

   In this new adventure, Peter Pan flees Neverland after being forced to “walk the plank” and other abuse committed by Capn’ Hook. Peter strips off his tights and elfish hat with red feather to join the modern world, where he struggles to forget his past. He grows up to become a middle-aged lawyer named Peter Banning whose hair is sprayed on from a can and whose ability to spit legal jargon can rival any hard core rap artist. Peter marries Moira Darling, and invites everyone to the wedding but Cap’n Hook—who holds a grudge. Peter and Moira have two children together, and life seems normal until Cap’n Hook crashes through the window, in his pirate ship, demanding custody of the children through a legal loophole called “Pirates Rights”. An outrageous custody battle, clashing with dueling swords, begins. Cap’n Hook hires Dr. Richard Gardner (played by Robert Blake) as an expert witness who condemns both Moira and Peter with various mental conditions, using unproven, unscientific theories to bolster his claims. Dr. Gardner proclaims Moira is a “feisty wench” and Peter is suffering from “Peter Pan Syndrome”. Worst of all, they have alienated the children from Cap’n Hook!

A judge with an eye patch and peg leg, an hunch back guardian ad litem who has joined the “Pirates Rights Movement” and various other corrupt family court officials then grant Cap’n Hook full custody of both children. Peter and Moira are ordered to pay child support and are slapped with a gag order to remain silent or face being sent to the dungeon. An hour of supervised visitation every blue moon is granted to both parents, if they can make their way through an overgrown labyrinth then cross a moat to a heavily guarded tower in the middle. Cap’n Hook whisks the children away on his pirate ship, captured in a net.           

In the eyes of the court, Cap’n Hook is a sympathetic pirate who has employed hundreds of thieves, smugglers and petty criminals aboard his ship. His quarters are lavishly decorated with troves of treasure and the skull and cross bones on his flag show he is firm disciplinarian, not an abuser. Cap’n Hook provides attention and nurturing to the children by exposing them to gambling, drinking and providing schooling aboard the ship that includes swordplay and Pirate-bonics such as “Arrrgh!” and “Aye, Matey!” Despite his best efforts, both children express that they miss their parents and often cry, as a result of the rigorous brainwashing Peter and Moira have inflicted. Dr. Gardener counsels Cap’n Hook. Dr. Gardener assures that full custody is the only cure for “pirate alienation syndrome” and that Moira is only hateful Cap’n Hook because she has a secret lust for the pirate. As for Peter, the Lost Boys hardly provided a legal defense with their slingshots and grade-school taunts. While aboard the ship, Cap’n Hook tries to convince both children that their parents hate them, and works hard to manipulate them into becoming pirates. He almost succeeds if not for Tinkerbell, who has stolen onto the ship in an effort to try to with the children back to Peter and Moira. High fashion Tinkerbell flits amid the pirate ship among glittering pixie dust and disco music, bringing a musical score to “Cap’n Hook” as the pirates break out in song and dance, and the children sneak off the ship in a dingy. “Cap’n Hook: A Pirate Alienation Movie” will leave viewers stunned in its explosive finale, followed by exclusive web cam clips of the provocative Tinkerbell.  

Note: This essay is based on the 1991 movie “Hook”. There is a scene in “Hook” where Captain Hook has stolen the children of Peter Pan, and attempts to alienate the children by telling them that their parents don’t love them, and manipulates the children’s feelings to instigate hostility against their parents. I also found it interesting that in “Hook” a Lost Boy child named Rufio is killed by Captain Hook when stabbed in the heart with a sword. The movie largely ignored the death of Rufio, and Peter Pan was even willing to give Captain Hook a second chance—the death of this child went unnoticed and unpunished. Many of the fairytale events in this film echo the unbelievable injustice and drama of the family court system.

Evanlee, 2008 

The Parental Alienation Syndrome: Is It Scientific? by Stephanie J. Dallam, RN, MSN, FNP

 http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/dallam/3.html

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Stop Family Violence: Parental Alienation Articles Page 

http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/ocean/host.php?folder=63 

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“..(Because of) the given tendency for incestuous fathers to deny their abuse, the more normal appearing and less disturbed abusers may be more effective at preventing disclosure.”

“While some studies reported some fathers with evidence of psychological disturbance, Williams and Finkelhor found that the majority of incestuous fathers are unlikely to manifest severed [sic] psychiatric impairment. Indeed, they felt they could state with confidence that ‘there are an important group of incestuous fathers, at least a quarter or a third, who seem virtually completely normal, and who would likely pass psychological testing or psychiatric evaluation without problem.’
‘CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND DETECTION’
by Rod O’Connor, Senior Research Fellow at Monash University
in Australia.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=347329
The pdf file can be downloaded and viewed here:
http://chpe.buseco.monash.edu.au/pubs/wp16.pdf

Or you can read it in your browser from Google’s cache:
http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:od5iIDN0EywJ:chpe.buseco.monash.edu.au/pubs/wp16.pdf 

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Personality Traits in Abusive Relationships

http://www.recovery-man.com/abusive/abuse_rel_types.htm

“Abusiveness is a family dysfunction that repeats through generations. Just as addictions pass down through generations, abusers often leave their families for a family of choice - then repeat the abusive cycle from the other side….Abusive relationships are marked by attempts by the abuser to isolate their partner from social interaction. This is due to jealousy and to an unconscious awareness that outsiders will see the relationship dynamics and attempt to intervene.”