Impact of the Threat of War on Children in Military Families

The potential for war is a pervasive threat to the security and family structure of children in military families. This study compared 91 children (8–11 yrs old) of active-duty, reserve, and civilian families with respect to their perceptions of war, origin of fears related to war, levels of manifest anxiety, coping strategies, and projection of emotional problems in human figure drawings. Findings regarding the adaptation of children in military families are discussed, and the need for further research from children's perspectives is highlighted.