What the model is for
The Five-Factor Model organizes a set of observations that may be relevant when a child resists or refuses contact with a parent. It is an assessment framework, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a complete safety evaluation.
The five factors
- The child’s active or persistent rejection of a parent
- A prior relationship between the child and rejected parent
- The absence of abuse, neglect, or other justified reasons for rejection must be assessed—not assumed
- The presence of behaviors that may influence the child’s relationship with the other parent
- The child’s behavioral manifestations and relational presentation
Professional safeguards
- Assess allegations of abuse, neglect, intimidation, and coercive control directly.
- Seek information from multiple sources and distinguish direct observation from report.
- Consider both parents’ behavior, the child’s developmental context, and relationship history.
- Do not use a score or checklist as a custody recommendation by itself.
- State what the available evidence cannot establish.
Measurement layer
Operational definitions, contemporaneous records, and behavior-frequency summaries can make professional conversations more precise. They cannot authenticate a record or establish causation. Use the Behaviors Checklist and Case Builder as organizing aids only.