Adolescence can be a particularly turbulent time for kids…full of changes and challenges.
Adolescents from military families may face some unique stressors that could affect their self-esteem. For example, when military parents are deployed and not at home for long periods of time or families are uprooted and moved to another location, this could affect their relationships and impact their self-esteem.
This is what Carleton PhD student Amanda Bullock is researching in collaboration with Dr. Alla Skomorovsky, Defence Scientist at Defence Research and Development Canada. She points out that this is important as, to date, says there have been few formal studies investigating this topic within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Her hypothesis is that parental deployment will negatively influence adolescents’ self-esteem because deployment will reduce the child-parent relationship quality. However, adolescents with a secure peer relationship will be protected against the negative impact of parental deployment on their self-esteem. She also hypothesizes that relocation will negatively influence adolescents’ self-esteem because it will diminish the quality of their peer relationships. However, adolescents with a positive child-parent relationship will be protected against the negative impact of relocation on their self-esteem.
Bullock used a sample of 208 adolescents from CAF families and is currently in the process of analyzing her data.
She says that her findings will have implications on identifying how best to support adolescents in CAF families who are faced with deployment and relocation. “As well, because the family’s functioning can have profound impacts on the military member’s well-being and morale and ultimately, the operational success of the CAF, it is imperative to investigate the factors that buffer adolescents against the risks of deployment and relocation,” says Bullock.
Bullock received $40,000 to pursue her research from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Bullock says she was drawn to do her PhD program in psychology because of Prof. Robert Coplan, “whose relevant knowledge, experience, and research interests are an invaluable asset to my education.”
She says her program is great – “a lot of quantitative courses are offered and recently they have introduced a qualitative course, all of which provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct research. There are also opportunities to get more applied experience through practicum courses.”
When she completes her degree, she is interested in working as a research scientist or pursuing an international post-doctorate fellowship, possibly in China, as she is currently involved in a few collaborative research projects with scholars in Shanghai.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 in Grad Student Research, News
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