Study Outlines Military Children’s Struggles

Children of service members in California are more prone to behavior problems than their civilian counterparts, according to a study published Aug. 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association – Pediatrics magazine. Researchers linked the military children’s struggles to the stress of having parents that have been fighting wars for the past 13 years. The team of social workers and psychologists concluded that the young dependents they studied were more likely to use illegal drugs, bring weapons to school, or get in fights than civilian children. “Most military-connected youth demonstrate resilience. However, results suggest that during wartime, military connected youth are at increased risk for adverse outcomes,” the researchers concluded.