What Are Some of the Specific Issues Faced by Military Children?

4.  What are some of the specific issues faced by military children? How does moving and/or having a deployed parent affect them emotionally, educationally, and socially? What is the role of the social worker in supporting these kids? What services and resources exist for them?

        When it comes to military families there are many issues that arise.  Many of these issues depend on a number of factors.  These factors include the rank of the military member.  Those who are enlisted of make far less money than officers, so the financial issue arises more in enlisted families than officers.  Another factor is the MOS of the military member.  Is the military member in a non-deploying squadron or MOS?  If the military member deploys quite a bit, then this causes other issues on the family dynamic as a whole.  Other factors that military children deal with are discrimination, moving, educational issues, friendships, emotional issues, high divorce rates, war, and death.    

        Military life is not for the everyone.  It’s difficult to be a military child, I know personally, as well as a spouse of a military member, from watching and listening to my mother.  You learn quick that their career comes first, not their family.  I didn’t understand much growing up, but now I fully understand and appreciate the strength of my mother, who kept our family together throughout my father’s whole 20-year career, and kept my sister and my life going, while my father was off defending our country. The divorce rate in military families is high.  The stress of moving, long hours, deployments, lack of trust, and being alone and a foreign place takes its toll on many.  Many families do not stay together under the pressure that military life causes.  This causes many stressors on the children and can cause feelings of abandonment, resentment, anger, anxiety, and fear.  Social workers are key to helping children who are struggling to cope with the divorce.    

        Finances are a big concern for military members.  Especially for lower ranking enlisted service members, or those who are relocating to a new duty station and temporarily becoming a one-income family due to the move.  Free or reduced lunch as school is an embarrassing stigma on children who attend school.  Children of enlisted service members have to deal with being discriminated against either by their parents rank or their choice of service they are in.  Some officer’s children feel they are above enlisted children, and bullying or making enlisted children feel lower in the social structure occurs.  I’ve personally dealt with parent’s not allowing me to be friends with their children because my father is a Marine.  

        Deployment’s and war are one of the biggest issues that military children deal with. “Deployment-the time when a service member is away from his or her home base in support of some type of military operation -can be divided into four phases of a cycle: predeployment (the time from notification to deployment), deployment (time during which parent is gone), reunion (the period of preparation just prior to the return), and postdeployment (period following return)” (2013).  This period when family is separated is emotional and difficult.  A strong family dynamic is imperative to get through these trying times.  Children can feel abandoned, worried, anxious, scared, angry, alone, and many other emotions during this period.  Having a parent that is on top of their children’s feelings and willing to accept, acknowledge, and work through those feelings with the child helps tremendously.  Social workers can also be sought out to help the child deal with the anger, and resentment issues or any other issues that may be occurring that the parent may not be able to help with.  Social workers can help children deal with the return of their parent who is combating PTSD and the family life is no longer as they remember it should be. If the military member is KIA (killed in action) or becomes a POW (prisoner of war) then social workers can help the children work through their emotional and psychological issues that are accompanied by this devastating news.