Poster #231 - Understanding Friendship Characteristics in Military-Connected Children and Their Contribution to Socio-Emotional Adjustment

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Recently, American Service Members have experienced longer and more frequent deployments, placing approximately 1.2 million military-connected children at increased risk for negative outcomes. The extant literature has shown that friendships can act as a buffer during difficult times, but limited research has examined the role of friendships for military-connected children. Qualitative studies have suggested that military-connected children may experience friendship difficulties; however, few studies directly examine if military and civilian children’s friendships differ and how friendship impacts the overall well-being of military-connected children. This study seeks to describe these differences and to examine the outcomes associated with both friendship quantity and quality.
Participants in this study included 466 Army wives with children between 5 and 7 years (M = 6.4 years, SD = 10 months; 50.2% girls) and a sample of 127 civilian mothers matched on racial/ethnic characteristics and socio-economic status (child age M = 6.4 years, SD = 9.9 months; 48% girls). The current study is part of a larger study designed to examine the impact of deployment on child and family adjustment. Relevant to this study, mothers completed an online questionnaire regarding their children’s social adjustment, school adjustment, internalizing and externalizing difficulties (i.e. CBCL), emotion regulation (i.e. CER), and self-regulation (CBQ).
Results indicated that military children had shorter friendships than civilian children, t(565)= -5.51, p < .01, (M= 1.94 years, SD= 1.12 as compared to M= 2.61 years, SD= 1.19). There was also a trend towards military children having fewer friendships than civilian children, t(562)= -1.71, p = .08, (M=4.34, SD= 1.99 as compared to M=4.70, SD= 2.01). In contrast to civilian children, military children were more likely to have begun friendships in their neighborhoods, t(184.28), p < .01, (M= 0.33, SD= 0.33 and M= 0.22, SD= 0.26), and through activities, t(256.26)= 2.37, p < .05, (M= 0.08, SD= 0.19, and M= 0.05, SD= 0.11). Notably, military children had a higher number of younger friends than civilian children, t(70.06)= 2.62, p < .05, (M= 0.34, SD= .20 as compared to M= 0.27, SD= .15).
Military children’s number of friends was associated with increased effortful control, r= 0.18, p < .01. Higher ratings of friendship quality were associated with less internalizing and externalizing behaviors, r= -0.17, p < .01 and r= -0.11, p < .05, fewer school adjustment issues, r= -0.22, p < .01, higher emotional regulation, r= -0.17, p < .01, fewer demonstrations of negative emotion, r= -0.17, p < .01, less negative affect, r= -0.25, p < .01, and less surgency, r= -0.12, p < .05.
These findings further our understanding of friendships in the context of military-connected children by describing how they differ from civilian children’s friendships, which may reflect the impact of frequent moves, the influence of living in military-affiliated neighborhoods, or the impact of parental-separation on friendship formation. These factors will be further investigated. Further, identifying friendship quality as a potential buffer against negative outcomes may inform intervention efforts seeking to improve the functioning of military-connected children by providing a possible intervention point.

Authors

• Anna Smith, Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
  Presenting Author

• Julie Wargo Aikins, Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Deane Aikins, Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
  Non-Presenting Author