Opening thread by the new moderator who posts tons of "bad" stories about the military.unhappycamper (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-10 07:48 AM
Original message
Study: Kids of deployed military have more behavioral problems
Research shows that children of enlisted Army soldiers are more likely to suffer maltreatment when a parent is away in combat, and Army wives are more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
Study: Kids of deployed military have more behavioral problems
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
A new study suggests nine years of war is taking a toll on U.S. children.
Children of active-duty military personnel make 18% more trips to the doctor for behavioral problems and 19% more visits for stress disorders when a military parent is deployed compared with when the parent is home, according to a study of children ages 3 to 8 in today's Pediatrics.
Those increases are even more striking given that the overall number of doctors' visits declined 11% during deployment, perhaps because the lone parent at home was so busy, says study author Gregory Gorman, who analyzed the medical records of nearly 643,000 children and 443,000 parents from 2006 to 2007.
Gorman, a pediatrician with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., says military doctors are usually aware of the burden on such children, but he hopes more civilian doctors, who care for two-thirds of kids in military families, will find out if a parent is deployed and ask how families are coping.
Research shows that kids of enlisted Army soldiers are more likely to suffer maltreatment when a parent is in combat and that Army wives are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders or other mental health conditions when their husbands are deployed.
Hey, Bragi. FUCK YOU! I'm a child of a father who voluntarily enlisted, and spent more then 6 months in the Persian Gulf during Op. Desert Shield/Storm, a year in Korea, and probably more then a year combined of other TDY's.Bragi (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-10 07:55 AM
Response to Original message
2. Going to war is a form of child abuse
Edited on Tue Nov-09-10 07:55 AM by Bragi
Seriously, what is a parent of young children thinking when they voluntarily decide to sign up for a job that will take them away on dangerous foreign missions while their families are left behind to spend every day worrying about their absent loved one?
And what are we as a society thinking when we make an effort to target for recruitment people who are parents of young children for service in our unending stream of aggressive occupations and shooting wars?
I don't know what others call it when someone leaves their children to worry every hour of every day about whether their parent will survive the day, but I know what I call it: it's a form of child abuse.
You want to know what effect it had on me? NONE! Because my father made sure that the time he was home was good, and fulfilling.
Now I'm deployed, with my child at home, and I will not listen to some worthless sack of shit like you telling me that I am abusing my son.
No it's not, you dumb fucking ****.Bragi (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-10 08:08 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. It's still child abuse
Edited on Tue Nov-09-10 08:11 AM by Bragi
You make a good point that many people with small children go into the military because they lack any other opportunity. I regret that this is indeed the case. However, the end result is still a form of child abuse.
I'd just like us to call it what it is. If this doesn't shame us into deciding that our wars and our bloated military are unacceptable, then it is our shame. The children of soldiers who are among the victims of our wars still suffer abuse.
For my part, I think it takes more guts for parents to refuse to be sucked into the military than it does to join up and let your kids suffer the consequences.
13. I'm mostly unemployed
I find part time work from time-to-time but it is very slow and has been for a couple of years.
I would re-enlist in a heartbeat if I could.Bragi (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-10 08:39 AM
Response to Reply #13
16. And if you have children...
Edited on Tue Nov-09-10 09:01 AM by Bragi
They would suffer in consequence of your decision to re-enlist.
To be clear, they would also suffer adverse consequences from being raised in a low income household. But I think that if you left it to your loved ones to decide which they might dread most -- being low income, or worrying every day about your safety and your life -- then they may well choose to do without a few things they'd like to have, rather than risk worrying about, and maybe facing, life without you forever.You think we don't fucking know? I know exactly what my choices where when I decided to enlist. I knew what my choices where when I decided to get married, and I knew what my choices where when I decided to have children.Bragi (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-10 08:34 AM
Response to Reply #12
15. We could be honest with them about their choices
I think we could be honest with parents who show up to enlist by making it clear that a decision to enlist will most likely be harmful to the mental health of their children and their spouses.
In other words, we could be honest with them about the impact of their decision on their loved ones.
I think one way of doing this would be for some of the peace groups to start talking openly and honestly about this aspect of our growing "neo-warrior" culture.
Far as I can tell, most people, including people who openly advocate peace, are afraid to speak the truth about this.
But what the fuck do you know?
My son is absolutely fine. He's growing up just as he should be, because he knows he has a father who loves him, and supports him, and even though he's not there now, he will be. He's also (or will be, when he's old enough to understand the concept) learning that there are things more important that himself. He's learning that sometimes things have to be put before others. And he'll be learning to make the best of what he can with what he has.
http://www.democraticunderground.com...ss=389x9518793
And I stopped here, because this wanker just really ruined the wonderful mood I had today.
Originally Posted by djones520
