Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Differential child maltreatment risk across deployment periods of US Army soldiers.
Journal Name
American Journal of Public Health
Journal Volume
106
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
153-158
DOI
10.2105/ajph.2015.302874
Summary
Family well-being can be greatly impacted by stressful life events; parental deployment can increase that stress. The risk of maltreatment in young children of U.S Army soldiers throughout different deployment cycles was explored in this study. Findings revealed an elevated risk for child maltreatment after deployment in addition to increased child maltreatment rates during deployment.
Key Findings
Soldiers’ children that were under two years of age had an increased risk of experiencing maltreatment in the six months after deployment compared to the six months before deployment.
The rate of maltreatment of young children of Soldiers deployed twice increased substantially during the second deployment compared to the first deployment.
Maltreatment of young children of Soldiers increased during deployment compared to the six months before deployment.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate community members and caregivers on recognizing the signs of child maltreatment to increase early intervention efforts
Develop classes and workshops for caregivers on effective parenting methods during deployments and other high-stress life events
Offer support groups for non-deployed caregivers that promote healthy coping and family well-being
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage training for professionals who work with military families with young children on how to help these families cope with increased stressors around deployment and reintegration
Encourage the development of programming that helps Service members parent effectively post-deployment
Continue to support programs aimed at increasing family well-being during the deployment cycle
Methods
This study used preexisting data on Soldiers and their children ages two years old or younger from the Army Central Registry, Patient Administration Systems and Biostatistics Activity, and the Defense Manpower Data Center.
Researchers included information on Soldier’s deployment dates, demographic information, child maltreatment reports, and medical diagnoses of child maltreatment from the databases.
The association between Soldiers’ deployment and the rate of child maltreatment reports was explored.
Participants
All participants were children ages 0 to 24 months old with one parent in the Army with three years of Active Duty service and one or two deployments. The study included a total of 111,309 U.S. Soldiers and their 163,841 child dependents.
The majority of Soldiers included in this study were male (93%). Ages were not collected or recorded.
The Soldiers were White (58%), Black (23%), Latino (12%), Asian-American (2%), Native American (2%), and unknown or another race (3%).
The ranking of the Soldiers were enlisted (86%), officer (13%), and warrant officer (1%).
Limitations
Measuring child maltreatment episodes is difficult due to underreporting, which could alter the accuracy of the findings.
This study only used data from the Army, limiting the generalizability of the data to other branches of the military.
Subjects were Soldiers with only one or two deployments, limiting the generalizability of the findings to Soldiers with three or more deployments.
Only children under two were included in the study, which limits the generalizability of the results to all children.
Avenues for Future Research
Utilize samples with children of all ages to determine how the experiences of older children may differ from those of younger children
Include information on other branches of the military as well as Service members with multiple deployments
Evaluate the experience of children of female Service members and families in which both parents are Active Duty
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objectives. We described the risk for maltreatment among toddlers of US Army soldiers over different deployment cycles to develop a systematic response within the US Army to provide families appropriate supports. Methods. We conducted a person-time analysis of substantiated maltreatment reports and medical diagnoses among children of 112 325 deployed US Army soldiers between 2001 and 2007. Results. Risk of maltreatment was elevated after deployment for children of soldiers deployed once but not for children of soldiers deployed twice. During the 6 months after deployment, children of soldiers deployed once had 4.43 substantiated maltreatment reports and 4.96 medical diagnoses per 10 000 child-months. The highest maltreatment rate among children of soldiers deployed twice occurred during the second deployment for substantiated maltreatment (4.83 episodes per 10 000 child-months) and before the first deployment for medical diagnoses of maltreatment (3.78 episodes per 10 000 child-months). Conclusions. We confirmed an elevated risk for child maltreatment during deployment but also found a previously unidentified high-risk period during the 6 months following deployment, indicating elevated stress within families of deployed and returning soldiers. These findings can inform efforts by the military to initiate and standardize support and preparation to families during periods of elevated risk.
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