Publication year
2016
Citation Title
The effects of stress and social support on externalizing behaviors among children in military families
Journal Name
Deviant Behavior
Journal Volume
37
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
246-262
DOI
10.1080/01639625.2015.1012403
Summary
Stress and the ways that families cope with stress often have a large impact on children's behavior, which may be particularly relevant for military families. This study investigated externalizing behaviors among military children and associations with family stress and social support. Findings indicated that, while military wives with high stress levels reported greater child externalizing behavior, strong social support among military wives served as a protective factor against the effects of stress and was related to lower levels of child externalizing behavior.
Key Findings
Military wives with high stress levels reported more problematic externalizing behaviors among their children.
Strong social support of military wives was related to fewer externalizing behaviors among their children.
Social support served as a protective factor against the effects of stress among military families.
Factors such as number of relocations, length of deployments, and status of Service member were related to the amount of stress and social support military wives reported.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer programming that encourages Service members and their families to support one another and discuss stressors with each other
Provide information regarding potential sources of social support available to Service members and their families
Develop classes to help Service members and their families identify and cope with stress, including teaching the benefits of social support
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development and continuation of programs that build social support among Service members’ families
Encourage professionals who work with Service members and their families to offer education and resources related to social support and its impact on parenting and child behavior
Recommend training of professionals to better identify and provide resources for Service members and their families who may be experiencing low levels of social support
Methods
Participants were recruited for one month through the National Military Family Association website’s weekly newsletter, as well as through distribution of the survey to known military personnel.
Data were collected through an online survey regarding social support, stress, and child behavior.
Associations between social support, stress, and children’s externalizing behaviors were examined.
Participants
The sample included 198 military wives who were predominantly White (88%), had an average age of 40 years old (SD = 5.51), and had a child over the age of 6 years old living in the home.
Of participants who reported demographic information, all were Service members’ wives.
The sample included wives of Army (40%), Navy (32%), Coast Guard (20%), and Marine Corps (7%) members.
Participants reported an average of five relocations and 31 months of Service member deployment time.
Limitations
While survey recruitment targeted Service members, spouses, and partners, all participants indicated they were wives of Service members, and most were White and unemployed, which may reduce the ability to generalize results to military families with different demographics.
Due to the use of non-randomly selected participants, via newsletter recruitment and sending surveys to known Service members, selection bias may have played a role in the study results.
Only externalizing behavior of the oldest child in each family was considered, meaning results may not generalize to middle children or youngest children.
Avenues for Future Research
Investigate what specific types of social support help decrease the effects of stress and externalizing behavior among military families and children
Conduct a similar study sampling oldest, middle, and youngest military children to examine whether family stress and social support play similar roles on child behavior across birth order
Evaluate the effects self-reported levels of stress and social support among military children to understand the effects on externalizing behavior
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Drawing on social support theory, this study examines the main and interactive effects of parental perceived stress and social support on externalizing behaviors in military youth. Findings reveal that not only do social support and stress affect the conduct of military children, but social support also moderately buffers the effects of parental stress. Given the increasing distance between military and American culture, more generally, this research is one opportunity to make sense of contradictory expectations about the well-being of military youth. In doing so, it provides implications for how a more supportive organization can benefit military families.
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