Understanding the Impact of Deployment on Children from Indian Military Families
Keywords:
military, children, Indian, deploymentAbstract
Background: Frequent moves, change of schools, separation from the father and adapting to unfamiliar cultures are some of the stressors that tag along with being a “military kid”. Though considerable research is available from the West on the impact of deployment on the military, there is sparse work in this field in India. Aim: The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of deployment on children from Indian military families and recognize the resources/strategies used by children to cope with the challenges faced by deployment. Method: Semi structured interviews were conducted through snowball sampling with children from Indian military families from 7-18 years who had at least experienced one deployment of their father serving in the Indian Army. Analysis: Deductive content analysis was used to delineate themes through the contents of the interviews. Results: Response themes indicate both negative and positive impact of deployment on children from Indian military families. However, the negative impact has increased effects on children’s academic , social and emotional areas of life. Children resorted to distraction, avoidance, seeking support and communicating as strategies to cope with the stressors of deployment. Most children understood the demands of the military profession and were proud of their father, accepting their father’s choice of a military life and wanting to follow the same path as their father. While children shared a close bond with the mother due to the absence of their fathers, all of them felt a sense of void in the absence of their father. Interestingly, reintegration was not stressful and they felt that their lifestyle was unique compared to civilian children.
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