The National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. published a study about the effects of Growing up Military. Its a very lengthy paper full of statements like results inconclusive. However, Ive pulled out some of the relevant information that I think we can all agree with. We dont need outsiders telling us that were FUBAR. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3754801/ Adolescents in Wartime U.S. Military Families: A Developmental Perspective on Challenges and Resources Adolescents in wartime U.S. military families are a unique group of young people who are experiencing the usual milestones of adolescent development, including establishing their identities and becoming autonomous, while they face the challenges of military life such as multiple frequent moves, relocation and parent deployment to combat settings. This paper reviews research on adolescents in wartime U.S. military families, within the context of adolescent development, to identify their behavioral, emotional and academic risk status, and challenges and resources. Ways that adolescents cope with these stressors include learning to ‘blend in,’ developing good communication skills, enjoying and learning from exposure to new cultures when relocation is outside of U.S., becoming more self-sufficient and independent, talking with a trusted teacher, having a parent who communicates with teachers about the emotional and academic effects of relocation and deployment issues on the adolescent, making friends with other adolescents in military families, and connecting with peers versus teachers or counselors or school psychologists in school. These findings suggest that multiple moves over time may promote resilience and not undermine adolescents’ development. Especially when U.S. military families have resources to support these moves (e.g., family services on the installation, teen centers, etc.), which may lessen the impact of multiple frequent moves and relocations on the healthy developmental trajectories of their adolescent children. Research suggests adolescents in U.S. military families can positively adapt to the challenges, such as relocation and parent deployment that they may experience. Social support and other resources can facilitate this positive adaptation. Being part of military culture, “a military brat” is protective. Adolescents and their parents perceive it makes them more independent, mature, social and able to adapt well to new situations Adolescents that are in U.S. military families in the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy on active duty who often live on military installations may have access to the most resources for coping with challenges compared to National Guard and Reserve families. These military families are perceived as being in a supportive environment that provides a sense of community, resilient peers for all family members including the caretaker non-service member parent, and job security for service member parents (Hutchinson, 2006). Living on military installations is one way of coping for adolescents in military families. Being part of military culture provides “safety, security and social support” (Mmari, Bradshaw, Sudhinaraset, & Blum, 2010, p. 359). For example, adolescents are often allowed to be independent and go wherever they want without a parent when they are on a military installation. Military installations also provide a lot of activities for adolescents to engage in such as shopping (i.e., the Base Exchange) and other recreation (i.e., the pool at the Officer’s Club) where they can connect with other adolescents. Adolescents in U.S. military families have a number of resources available to them. They live in supportive communities, have peers who understand their struggles and a maturity that allows them to cope with changing family dynamics and responsibilities.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 02:25:44 +0000
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