Military Family Research Paper

2439 Words10 Pages
Deployment of a military parent presents a difficult time for military families and places stress on children and their families. Family separation due to deployment is a major life event and can be long and frequent. Separation due to military deployment has been recognized as a major stressor on family dynamics, parenting, and children’s well-being and development The stress of deployment may be on top of families already challenged by frequent moves and upheavals in social support systems. The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that the United States has been involved with has been going on since 2003 – almost ten years. Because of this there is great concern about the well-being of children left behind. Today’s military is voluntary…show more content…
There is no easy answer to helping and allowing children to adjust to parental deployment. Current understanding and statistics on the impact of parental deployment on military children shows that we must continue to address the needs, concerns, and issues in today’s American military families and their changing needs. Continued commitment in providing additional support to these children and the parent who remains at home to care for them is essential in combating the detrimental effects that deployment can cause. Providing support and understanding challenges that deployment presents will help strengthen relationships within military families. This, in turn, can only help military personnel continue to serve well. References Barker, L., & Berry, K. (2009). Developmental Issues Impacting Military Families with Young Children During Single and Multiple Deployments. Military Medicine, 1033-1040. Chartrand, M., Frank, D., White, L., & Shope, T. (2008). Effect of Parents’ Wartime Deployment on the Behavior of Young Children in Military Families. Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 1009-1014. Cochrane, D. (2003, November 26). How a Military Separation from a Parent Affects a Child. Springfield,…show more content…
(2012). Wartime Military Deployment and Increased Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Complaints. Pediatrics, 1058-1066. Greene, T., Buckman, J., Dandeker, C., & Greenberg, N. (2010). How Communication With Families Can Both Help and Hinder Service Members’ Mental Health and. Military Medicine, 745-749. Hefling, K. (n.d.). More Military Children Seeking Mental Care. Marine Corps Times. Springfield, VA: Army times Publishing Company. Huebner, A., Mancini, J., Wilcox, R., Grass, S., & Grass, G. (2007). Parental Deployment and Youth in Military Families: Exploring Uncertainty and Ambiguous Loss. Family Relations, 112-122. Lester, P., Peterson, K., Reeves, J., & et al. (2010). The Long War and Parental Combat Deployment: Effects on Military Children and At-Home Spouses. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 310-320. Members, A. P. (2007). The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families: A Preliminary Report. Washington. Schumm, W., Bell, D., M, E., & Rice, R. (2004). Expectations, Use, and Evaluation of Communication Media among Deployed Peacekeepers. Armed Forces & Society,
Open Document