Abstract
Children from military families were said to have unique needs because of the distinct circumstance involving their growing up years. Studies revealed that a large number of military children were resilient enough to deal with their circumstances. However, it was also pointed out that not all children are the same, and there remains the possibility of going through difficulties when faced with challenging situations. Therefore, military families and their children should receive the needed support in order to help them deal with situations that are inherent in families with at least one military parent. Scholars suggest that children are inherently resilient, though it should also be noted that they differ in their cognitive ability and temperament. Not all will be able to positively deal with adversities, thus they should receive the needed support in order to develop into well-rounded individuals despite having to deal with the deployment of parents, changing environments and the fear of possibly losing a parent.
Keywords: Children, military, resilient
Introduction
There were many researches conducted about military families, particularly the impact on children of having at least one military parent. While several studies have shown that a majority of the children of the military turned out just fine, there is still a need to conduct further research about them to be able to extend the needed support to these families, especially to their children. Many studies were aimed at determining the resilience of children, which, according to the authors of an article entitled Resilience Among Miltiary Youth, “is not a personal trait, but a product of the relationships between children and the people and resources around them” (Easterbrooks et al, 2013). Despite their apparent resiliency, military children should receive the needed support because they can also be vulnerable to circumstances such as the deployment of the military parent, a change in the neighborhood and school environment due to frequent moves, and distancing from friends. There is also the fear about the possibility of losing parent on the battlefield, which is considered as one among the most prominent fear among children of military parents. Consequently, scholars pointed out to the two main elements of resiliency which are a) exposure to adverse or traumatic circumstance; and b) the successful adaptation following exposure (Blaisure et al, 2015).
Military families, including their children are always exposed to circumstances or are open to possibilities of experiencing situations that require them to be resilient. There were three aspects that affect the resilience of children, and these are: a) characteristics of the child, b) support from the family, and c) support from the larger context such as the neighborhood, school and the community (MacDermid, 2008). It was found that military children who demonstrated resilience after experiencing an adversity tend to show two traits; that is, they tend to have a higher level of cognitive ability and they have a disposition that makes it easy for them to form good social relationships. The cognitive ability enables them to immediately recognize, comprehend, learn and adjust to the given circumstances, while their excellent disposition is helpful in maintaining and reaching out to supportive relationships (Macdermid, 2008). Researchers pointed out that cognitive ability and positive disposition are determined genetically, though, these can also be changed and affected by strong environmental factors. For example, despite being inherently born with a good temperament, children may still have difficulty in adjusting to situations if they were not taught how to handle things as they grow.
As a means to understand resilience among military children, there is a need to know about the key attributes of the individual adolescents, the status particular to them, the elements affecting the young person’s environment as well as the ability to handle life circumstances. A particular element that puts the resilience of people to test is their exposure to stress. By definition, resilience means the ability to positively deal and handle difficult circumstances, thus he importance of noting the relativity of adversities, stressors and the ability of each individual to function normally despite these challenges.
People shows different changes from childhood throughout their adolescent years, and this includes the manifestation of developmental plasticity. This process consists of “neural connection, modified by the environment, features of their own cognitive structure and attributes of their behavioral repertoire and characteristics of their relationship with their context” (Easterbrooks, 2013). However, while developmental plasticity provides a certain assurance about dynamic resilience, it can also be possible that it will subject and individual to yield to their vulnerabilities. This is because adolescents differ in their personalities, and not everyone will be able to deal with challenges in a positive and constructive manner.
Promoting Resilience in Military Children
In recent research, it was found that there is an increased risk of child maltreatment among children whose parent was sent on a combat-related assignment (MacDermid, 2008). It was assumed that the heightened incidence of child maltreatment can be attributed to the stress felt by the non-deployed parent. It is suggested that there should be an added support for families who were forced by deployment to be separated; that is, this is a necessary support as the behavior demonstrated by the parent can greatly impact the disposition of their children. The further focus should be done for adolescents who were said to demonstrate “risky behavior, delinquency and teen pregnancy” (Easterbrooks, 2013). It is noted that children, and this includes the teenagers, the benefits largely from parental warmth and closeness, especially so when combined with a reasonable yet firm and consistent guidance.
Conclusion
Resilience in military children has been the content of several studies in the past. This is in line with the concept that military families, specifically their children, should be supported in order for them to be able to positively cope with their circumstances. There are three elements that can have an impact on children’s resiliency, and these include the child’s specific characteristics such as his cognitive ability and temperament, the support provided by the immediate family, as well as from the larger society such as the support from the schools and the community. In terms of children’s resiliency, studies found that those who were able to demonstrate resiliency during adversaries and difficult situations are likely those who have a higher level of cognition and better temperament. They were able to understand and deal with events in a calm manner because they have that level of maturity that allows them to immediately comprehend and accept things as they happen.
References
Blaisure, K., Saathoff-Wells, T., Pereira, A., MacDermid, S., & Dombro, A. (2015). Serving military families: Theories, research, and application. Routledge.
Easterbrooks, A., Ginsburg, K., & Lerner, R. (2013). Resilience among military youth. The Future of Children, 23(2), 99-120. Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/docs/Chapter%205.pdf
MacDermid, S., Samper, R., Schwarz, R., Nishida, J., & Nyaronga, D. (2008). Understanding and promoting resilience in military families. Military Family Research Institute at Pordue University, 1-28.
