Child maltreatment within military families

Abstract

Attention to child maltreatment within military families has grown in recent decades in response to the increasing numbers of children in military families, the broader evolution of child maltreatment policy and services, and the development of military policy on issues such as domestic violence. This chapter summarizes current understanding of child maltreatment in the military. Several characteristics of military populations and military life are likely protective with respect to child maltreatment. However, three aspects of military life may increase risks for child maltreatment: elevated rates of domestic violence among military families, increased prevalence of alcohol among service members, and deployment of service member parents. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.