The more than 52,000 children of the service members who were called upon to serve in combat since hostilities began in 2001 are the hidden victims of war, says a study released March 14. Those whose parents were killed or sustained serious injuries are facing the greatest challenges to their social and psychological development, according to the report, conducted by the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research at the University of San Diego. The study recommended:
* Development of long-term family resiliency programs, which focus upon ongoing family education and training on grief, loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
* Peer-to-peer support, particularly for teenagers, including Web-based networks;
* Provision of mentoring and “healthy parenting” programs for adults;
* Continuing long-range communication with families, to ensure that they are not forgotten in the months long after deployments end;
* Central databases of support activities available in local communities.
