Virtual Parents – Maybe Not…but Something is Needed

More than 2.5 million children have at least one parent serving on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserve. So what are they doing to help these kids cope? According to The New Scientist Magazine, the Department of Defense is soliciting proposals for a computer program that would enable young children to interact with a virtual version of their parent. Officials are hoping that it could provide reassurance to children when contact via the internet or phone is not possible.

The Department of Defense believes that simple conversations with loved ones could help in times of stress or prolonged absence.

While we are wondering about the merits of a virtual parent, a recent study by Rand suggests that something should be done. The study found that war may be hardest on teenagers, especially girls. According to the study teens 14 – 17 have more behavior and emotional problems than younger children when a parent is deployed.

Researchers found:

• About 34 percent reported emotional difficulties such as feeling sad and lonely.
• Military children also reported more friction with family members and twice the anxiety of their peers.
• Older boys reported more trouble keeping up in school and acting out, such as fighting, during a parent’s deployment.
• Girls reported more trouble relating to the returning parent; were more anxious about the next deployment; and were more concerned about their parents’ marriage.

Kids are impacted by deployment, said Michelle Kochosky, the National Guard’s state family program director. “It’s like nothing else a normal child has to deal with.”