Abstract
In recent times children have adapted to parental separation as parents balance the demands of family and job responsibilities. While job-related separation affect many in today's society, no population is affected more than children of military families. Changes in the Armed Services have resulted in more children being separated from their active-duty mothers. Although studies have documented the relationship between father-absence and a child's psychosocial development, little is known about mother-child separation in military families. This study compares the psychosocial functioning of children who have experienced extended maternal separation with that exhibited by children who have separated from their fathers. Implications for social work practice are addressed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bach, G. (1946). Father-fantasies and father-typing in father separated children.Child Development, 17, 63–80.
Baker, S., Fagan, S., Fischer, E., Janda, E. & Cove, L. (1967). Impact of father absence on personality factors of boys: An evaluation of the military family's adjustment.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 37, 347.
Bemporad, J., Pfeifer, C., Gibbs, L., Cortner, R. & Bloom, W. (1971). Characteristics of encopretic patients and their families.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 10, 272–292.
Bowlby, J. (1960). Grief and mourning in infancy and early childhood.Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 15, 9–52.
Bowlby, J. (1973).Attachment and loss, II: Separation. New York: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1988).A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.
Crumley, F. & Blumenthal, R. (1973). Children's reactions to temporary loss of the father.American Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 778–782.
Department of Defense (1991).DoD Report on Title III of the Persian Gulf Conflict and Supplemental Authorization and Personnel Benefits Act. PL 102-25: pp 4–5.
Department of Defense (1992).Fact sheet: Women in the military. Alexandria, Va: Defense Manpower Data Center.
Field, T., Gewirty, J. & Cohen, D. (1984). Leavetakings and reunions of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents.Child Development, 55, 628–635.
Garland, F. (1990).After-action report on consultation to the Family Support Division, US Army South. Paper presented at the Army Psychologist Practices Course.
Hill, R. (1949).Families under stress. Adjustment to the crisis of war separation and reunion. New York: Harper and Brothers.
Kelley, M., Herzog-Simmer, P. & Harris, M. (1994). Effects of military-induced separation on the parenting stress and family functioning of deploying mothers.Military Psychology, 6(2), 125–138.
McCubbin, H., Patterson, J. & Wilson, L. (1982).Family assessment inventories for researching and practice. University of Wisconsin: Family Stress, Coping and Health Project.
Pedhazur, E. & Schmelkin, L. (1991).Measurement, design, and analysis: An integrated approach. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ridenour, R. I. (1984). The military, service families and the therapist. In F. Kaslow and R. Ridenour (Eds.),The military family (pp. 1–17). New York: The Guilford Press.
Robertson, J. & Robertson, J. (1971).Young children in brief separation. London: Tavostock Institute.
Robichaux, R.J. (1988).The relationship between father involvement in child care and the child's development. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Catholic University of America.
Rosen, L., Teitelbaum, J. & Westhuis, D. (1993). Children's reactions to the Desert Storm deployment: Initial findings from a survey of Army families.Military Medicine, 158, 465–469.
Sears, R., Pintler, M. & Sears, P. (1946). Effect of father separation on preschool children's doll play aggression.Child Development, 17, 219–243.
Segal, M. & Harris, J. (1993).What we know about Army families. Alexandria, Va: US Army Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Seplin, C. (1952). A study of the influence of the father's absence for military service.Smith College Studies in Social Work, 22, 123–124.
Smith, E. (1981). The working mother: A critque of the research.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 19, 191–211.
Stolz, L. (1951). The effect of mobilization and war on children.Social Casework, 32, 143–149.
Timberlake, E. (1979). Child social functioning: A data base for planning.School of Social Work Quarterly, 13, 229–241.
Yeatman, G. (1981). Paternal separation and the military dependent child.Military Medicine, 146, 320–322.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research met the dissertation requirement for a D.S.W. at Catholic University of America with Dr. Elizabeth Timberlake as chair and Dr. Barbara Early as committee member.
Dr. Applewhite is Chief, Social Work Service, Beyne-Jones Army Community Hospital and Dr. Mays is Social Work Consultant to the Army Surgeon General, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Applewhite, L.W., Mays, R.A. Parent-child separation: A comparison of maternally and paternally separated children in military families. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 13, 23–39 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876593
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876593