Written by: Hannah Bradford, M.A.Ed
Please read part 1 of this blog, Standing Strong: Understanding the Mental Health Needs of Military-Connected Youth, for a foundation of information regarding the importance of social connection on the wellness of military youth.
Now that we have discussed the importance of social connections in fostering resiliency in military youth, let’s talk about ways providers and family members can support youth in forming healthy social connections. As discussed in part 1, military youth who live on base go to school with other youth who are also military-connected, making them inevitably able to relate to each other and understand many of each other’s unique experiences. For military families who live off base, it can sometimes be harder for youth to connect, due to a lack of access to military community members (Kaeppler & Lucier-Greer, 2020; O’Neal et al., 2022).
However, there is significant evidence to establish that more often than not, military adolescents perceive relocations as an opportunity to experience friendships with new people who may be different from them (O’Neal et al., 2022). These findings indicate that adolescents are eager to build social connections, but may benefit from caregiver and/or provider assistance in accessing them. In addition, social support is and can often be created within the family, serving as a stable source of social support when youth are working toward building new peer connections in a new environment (Kaeppler & Lucier-Greer, 2020).
Here are some suggestions for caregivers and providers working with military youth to assist them in building strong, supportive social connections:
- Have open conversations about feelings. Specifically during times of deployment, family members, including youth, often experience feelings of uncertainty and stress. Parents who proactively initiate open conversations where youth can express how they feel create a supportive environment where youth can feel heard. Any trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher, or provider, can initiate these conversations. These discussions help create positive social experiences with trusted adults, enhancing social support (O’Neal et al., 2022).
- Help youth get involved in the community. Whether it is organized sports, school clubs, youth development programs, or other community activities, helping youth get involved in programs is a protective factor that can serve as a way for youth to build social support networks (O’Neal et al., 2022).
- Education is key. Providers, educators, and parents can all learn more about the unique needs of military-connected youth through training, professional development, and additional learning. For providers and educators, this knowledge can equip them to better serve students, and for parents, this knowledge can help strengthen their ability to understand and support youth (O’Neal et al., 2022).
- Utilize military family resources! If you are a provider working with military families, you can provide various resources for caregivers and parents of military youth to help them better navigate military life and frequent transitions. Military families who utilize family-based resources strengthen positive connections between family members, allowing for social support to form within the family (Kaeppler & Lucier-Greer, 2020).
Understanding the benefits of strong social connections in youth is an important part of working with military families. Though it can be hard for military youth to form consistent and long-lasting social connections due to frequent relocation, providers and caregivers can help bolster social connections to form strong support networks for youth.
See the list of free resources below to learn more:
Caregiver Resources:
For young kids –
- https://childmind.org/article/kids-who-need-a-little-help-to-make-friends/
- https://sesameworkshop.org/about-us/news/military-families-resources/
Tip sheet for caregivers – https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-social-connection-parents-and-caregivers.pdf
Military youth and teen program sheet – https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/military-youth-teen-programs/
Family-based deployment resources – https://www.militaryonesource.mil/deployment/on-deployment/military-deployment-support/#families-and-relationships
FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) program to help military families build skills and resilience: https://focusproject.org/
Relevant OneOp Resources for Providers:
Webinar – Weaving Community Safety Nets for Youth
Webinar – Launching into Adulthood: Equipping Military Teens with Protective Factors for Success
Blog Post – How academic professionals and school personnel can help: Transitions and Triumphs: Helping Military-Connected Youth Thrive
References:
Kaeppler, C., & Lucier-Greer, M. (2020). Examining the impacts of cumulative risk on Military-Connected youth and the role of family in coping. Child & Youth Care Forum, 49(4), 581–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-020-09544-7
O’Neal, C. W., Peterson, C., & Mancini, J. A. (2022). Military adolescents’ experiences of change and discontinuity: Associations with psychosocial factors and school success. Family Relations, 72(3), 1118–1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12740
