Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Deployment status and child neglect types in the U.S. Army.
Journal Name
Child Maltreatment
Journal Volume
23
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
25-33
DOI
10.1177/1077559517717638
Summary
It is important to understand the associations between deployment and child neglect types in military families. This study examined 390 substantiated child neglect cases in four Army installations; the neglect type and the deployment status at the time of each neglect incident was investigated. Results indicated that compared to never deployed families, families with a concurrently deployed or previously deployed parent were more likely to have certain types of child neglect.
Key Findings
The risk of three types of child neglect (i.e., failure to provide physical needs, lack of supervision, educational neglect) increased for families with a concurrently deployed parent.
Families with a concurrently deployed parent had an increased risk of multiple child neglect type incidents (as opposed to single child neglect type incidents), but a decreased risk of emotional neglect.
Compared to never deployed families, families with a previously deployed parent were more likely to have moral-legal neglect (e.g., exposing children to illegal activities).
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide parent education workshops for Service members and military spouses on the prevention of child neglect
Educate Service members and military spouses on useful parenting practices and parenting skills
Disseminate information to military spouses regarding available resources during deployment, especially for new parents
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage professional development for professionals working with military families to better understand the associations between deployment status and child neglect
Raise awareness on military bases regarding the prevalence of child neglect and how to prevent it
Promote the development of parent education programs to help military families cope with the challenges associated with the military lifestyle
Methods
The child neglect case samples were randomly selected from four U.S. Army installations with the highest numbers of child neglect incidents.
Data gathered for the study included neglect types (i.e., failure to provide physical needs, lack of supervision, emotional neglect, moral-legal neglect, and educational neglect), deployment status, and demographic information.
Data were analyzed to examined the relationship between deployment status and child neglect types.
Participants
Participants were 390 children who were victims of 390 substantiated child neglect cases.
Children's average age was 4.6 years (SD = 4.0) and 54% of them were male; the race/ethnicity of the children was not reported.
One or both parents of the children were Soldiers; the age and rank of the parents were not reported.
Limitations
The study focused exclusively on child neglect cases, so the findings cannot be applied to child abuse cases.
All child neglect cases happened at Army installations; therefore, caution must be taken to generalize the results to other military branches.
Dates of previous deployments were not available in some cases, which made it difficult to understand the associations between previous deployments and child neglect.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the associations between deployment status and child abuse incidents
Investigate child neglect cases in installations of all military branches so that the findings can be better generalized
Explore strategies that may prevent or reduce the occurrence of child maltreatment in military families
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Increases in combat deployments have been associated with rises in rates of child neglect in U.S. military families. Although various types of child neglect have been described in military families, it is unknown whether deployment status is associated with specific types of child neglect and whether other factors, such as substance misuse, play a role. To determine the contribution of service member deployment status to the risk of specific child neglect types, data were collected from 390 substantiated U.S. Army child neglect case files. The contributions of deployment status at the time of the neglect incident and parental alcohol or drug-related misuse to risk of neglect types were examined controlling for military family rank and child age. Compared to never deployed families, families with a service member concurrently deployed at the time of the neglect incident were at higher risk for failure to provide physical needs, lack of supervision, and educational neglect, but at lower risk for emotional neglect. Being previously deployed incurred risk for moral–legal neglect. Substance misuse added risk for moral–legal and educational neglect. Findings indicate the need for tailored prevention strategies to target different periods within the deployment cycle.
Abstract Document
Attach