School Transitions Among Military Adolescents: A Qualitative Study of Stress and Coping

Qualitative data from students, parents, and school staff were used to examine transition-related stressors experienced by mobile military students (i.e., those who experience multiple military-related moves), the efforts utilized to help these students cope with stress, and to identify strategies that schools can use to ease the transition process for mobile military students. A variety of stressors were experienced by mobile military students (e.g., adapting to a new school) but military youth were adaptable to school transitions, and making connections or getting involved in the new school helped students cope with this transition.