Children
with deployed parents at risk for emotional, behavioral and relationship
struggles
Nearly 2 million children in the United States have experienced a parent’s
military deployment. Previous research has shown that these children may be at
increased risk for emotional, behavioral and relationship difficulties, yet
little is known about how best to address military children’s specialized
needs. Now, an MU researcher says school-based interventions could benefit
children whose parents have deployed.
David Albright,
an assistant professor at the MU School of
Social Work, says military children are an overlooked population in
need of more attention from school officials. To best help military children,
teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and social workers should be
aware of military culture and how it may influence children’s behaviors at
school.
“Many children
who act out in school are asked about common causes of bad behavior, such as
bullying or parents’ divorce,” Albright said. “Rarely are children asked
whether parents or siblings serve in the military. If their loved ones are
away, these children may be experiencing feelings of separation or worrying
about whether their parents will be injured or killed. If family members
recently have returned from active duty, they may be displaying symptoms of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that can
make children’s home lives more stressful.”
Albright
recommends school counselors, social workers, teachers and administrators
re-examine how they evaluate children who are struggling or misbehaving in
school. Albright says that when asking children about factors at home,
school officials should determine whether parents or siblings are deployed
or have been deployed because those experiences affect children’s home lives
and may reflect in their behaviors at school.
Schools can develop
better interventions to help these children once officials begin to ask if
behavioral problems may be related to parents’ military experience, Albright
said.
“Right now, we
don’t have a set of approved best practices for supporting children from military
families,” Albright said. “If schools begin asking whether family members
serve, then we can better help these children.”
Albright suggests
developing interventions that could be implemented in schools that directly
target military children and their family members.
Albright
recently co-authored, “Effects of School-Based Interventions With U.S.
Military-Connected Children: A Systematic Review,” which was published in Research
on Social Work Practice. Researchers included primary investigator
Kristen Esposito Brendel and Mary Bellomo at Aurora University; and Brandy
Maynard at St. Louis University.
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