How does relocation affect the military family

Even when students are eligible to participate in sports, military students can have difficulty breaking into established athletic programs and teams. Mmari and colleagues found that military children often experience discrimination when they participate in athletics at the new school. Athletic coaches were reluctant to put military students on teams or in starting positions, as doing so could disrupt the team dynamics. Students taking part in other extracurricular activities, like student government, face similar challenges that limit their involvement.

New military students may find that student government elections either happened before they entered the school or rely heavily on established popularity and previous school involvement, which would be difficult or impossible for a new student to demonstrate Bradshaw et al. The transition to a new school includes challenges both in the classroom and beyond.

Lack of understanding of military culture by public school teachers and staff. Horton noted that because of their limited experience with the military, civilian school staff have a knowledge gap that affects their competence and effectiveness in working with military students and families.

Bradshaw et al. Some teachers have high expectations for new military students and expect them to assimilate rather than acknowledging their unique issues. Other teachers recognize some of the issues military students face because of deployment, but choose to avoid the topic of war in the classroom or discourage the students from talking about their experiences as to not upset the students Bradshaw et al.

In addition to the issue of sensitivity, teachers who are not familiar with military culture may maintain negative stereotypes or political ideologies that influence the way they interact with military students Fenell, Horton explained that it is also possible for public school staff members to harbor strong negative feelings about the military, which may impact their treatment of the military students.

Fear of discrimination may also be a factor that impedes school staff from identifying military students in their schools, as parents and students may not reveal their military connection Bradshaw et al. Additionally, Mmari and colleagues found that many teachers and counselors had not received information that would help them identify students connected to the military. While part of the school staff felt that properly identifying military students could aid in assisting and connecting with these students, others felt that labeling this population could result in prejudice toward the students by anti-military staff.

A majority of the parents in the study reported that school staff did not know how to deal with and support military children and issues such as deployment, and that more training is needed Mmari et al. Tension at home and parental deployment. Relocation increases stress for all military family members. In preparing to move, parents are swamped with concerns and to-do lists, and may not have the patience or time to consider a child who is resistant to the transition Hall, The numerous moves can leave parents feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, and less emotionally able to help their children cope with stress related to relocation Bradshaw et al.

Further, parental stress increases the likelihood of conflicts between the parent and child and could lead to child maltreatment Rentz et al. In a qualitative research study by Bradshaw et al.

Some students reported feeling anger and resentment toward their parents and the military because of the constant uprooting and disruption due to change of duty stations.

Many students reported telling parents that they refused to move or would run away to avoid moving again Bradshaw et al. This negative and resistant behavior from a child can be an additional source of stress for the family. The emotional stress of relocation can be further complicated if the military parent is deployed or at risk of being deployed. Having a parent deployed in conjunction with a transition can lead to increased feelings of depression and anxiety.

These military students also reported difficulty coping with the absence of the deployed parent at special occasions such as birthdays, school programs and sporting events Mmari et al.

Absence of the deployed parent from these significant life events can cause stress, depression, feelings of loss, and anxiety for the military child. Likewise, nondeployed parents also experience stress during times of deployment Mmari et al. While researchers have found many negative outcomes associated with school transitions for military children, supportive relationships appear to have a positive influence on outcomes for this group.

Although the majority of the literature discusses the damaging consequences that multiple school transitions have on children from military families, some studies found that multiple school transitions fostered strength and resiliency. Lyle reported that there are mixed results in the literature regarding the effects of multiple school transitions.

Multiple transitions have been shown to equip military children with more adaptability, accelerated maturity, deeper appreciation for cultural differences, and strong social skills in comparison to their civilian peers Bradshaw et al.

Weber and Weber actually reported a lower rate of problems experienced by military adolescents exposed to increased frequency and number of relocations. Strobino and Salvaterra stated that whether transition affects military children positively or negatively depends largely upon their support systems. In contrast, military students who welcome change and find a new sense of responsibility during school transition may experience improved academic performance and achievement.

It also was found that despite five or more school transitions, military children reported average to above-average grades, active involvement in extracurricular activities, and support of teachers and parents.

This study attributed the positive adjustment of military students during multiple school transitions to supportive school cultures and strong parental involvement. Rush and Akos note that school counselors are uniquely qualified to assist students with social, emotional and academic concerns.

School counselors are specifically trained in child development, and they work closely with numerous sources of student support including parents, teachers and peers. Waliski et al. Professional school counselors also have access to academic data that can be used to identify the specific needs of an enrolling military student, such as standardized test scores, attendance records, discipline referrals and report cards.

The role of school counselors within the school environment places them in a unique position to serve and advocate for enrolling military students and consequently transform school transition into a positive experience. The following sections will provide an overview of ways that school counselors can support military students in their own schools. To initiate change, school counselors must first be informed about military life and become knowledgeable about resources and culturally sensitive interventions suited for military students Waliski et al.

Several resources are available to assist school counselors in becoming advocates for and providing resources and interventions to military students. Organizations such as Operation Military Kids OMK and Military One Source provide specific tools and trainings on assisting military children and parents for school staff and community stakeholders Eason, With regard to strategies and programs that acclimatize new students to schools and ease the transition process, student-to-student programs were noted repeatedly in the literature Berg, ; Bradshaw et al.

These programs connect new students with current students, who act as guides to the school grounds and reduce anxiety by initiating the friend-making process.

One such program is noted by Rush and Akos in working with middle school students. The authors developed a session, combination psychoeducational-counseling group created by school counselors to increase student knowledge concerning the deployment process.

Students are further supported through the development of coping skills in a safe, encouraging environment. Another avenue to help students adjust and adapt is connecting parents and caregivers to community resources.

As military families transition, they may be unfamiliar with their new community and struggle to locate health care providers, childcare, tutoring, and mental health and counseling resources. Your spouse is deploying, and you might be tempted to pack up and move closer to your family. The change of scenery might be nice, your parents could help with the children and you could reconnect with old friends — all great things to distract you from the deployment.

However, staying put has its own advantages. Deciding to stay or move is a family decision. If the appropriate medical or educational services the family member needs are not available in a new location, service members and their families have four choices:. One stipulation of the Compact is the temporary provision of the IEP services being implemented to the extent possible the same as those the student had in their previous school until a new IEP can be developed.

As a Parent Center it may benefit you to help military personnel below understand the requirements under IDEA as well as those provided through the Compact.

Resources do exist to help all military families when relocating. They are located at each installation, and although program names and titles may differ somewhat from branch to branch, their functions are very similar. One of the best services you can offer military families in your area is to make contact with the SLOs and build professional relationships with them.

Check your state map for current contact information for installations near you. EFMP Coordinators should definitely be on your contact list. There is one on each installation and they offer support on concerns ranging from relocation to domestic violence.

Reserve Component Family Programs: will provide family services in a number of ways: through facility-based locations, website or by telephone. While a move is obviously a time of upheaval for military families, it can also be a season of building new memories, learning new coping skills, and making new friends.

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