Military Children at Risk

In the year 2010, almost 2 million American children had at least one parent in active military duty.  A new study from the University of Iowa, suggest that these deployed parents put their children at risk of becoming alcoholic or drug abusers.  These children of the sixth to 11^th grade had an increase of alcohol use, using marijuana, prescription drugs and other illegal drugs as compared to children of the same grades and age groups of non-military families.  A professor of biostatistics says, “We worry a lot about the service men and women and we sometimes forget that they are not the only ones put into harm’s way by deployment, their families are affected too.”

As a child myself, a part of a military family, I discovered alcohol and eventually graduated to harder drugs.  My parents were not at fault for doing what needed to be done while in the military, yet I didn’t understand why for instance my father was always gone, deployed to different countries, active duty in different states and practically never at home until he completed his 20^th year in the military.  It was somewhat stressful for me, having to worry whether he would come home, or how to explain I even had a father.  Alcohol was my first step, I felt stronger, and could be the “man of the house”, yet as even though my father had eventually received his discharge from the military, I went along feeling like a stranger and began using street drugs, with the feeling I was no longer the needed.

The University of Iowa study goes on to show how living arrangements of these children change once the parent is deployed, many of them not living with a natural parent.  “They may go to live with a relative, but many go to live with others outside the family”.  They are disassociated from the family and by reason because of their change; they are most affected by drinking and drug use.  There are limited support groups and resources for military families whose children are affected by this risk.  I think that if such resources and support groups had existed when I was young, I would have grown into a completely different person of a more normal stature, as it took me many years after compounding what drug me through the city streets, I would have aged with understanding and morals of some regard instead of the derision it took me many years to overcome.  Hopefully the schools of these military children will have the insight to lend these children assistance and help them grow with understanding. 

Written by Donald S 

Homeless Count

In this article it says that Denver has more homeless people this year than last. “A total of 12,605 homeless people were counted in the survey of the region’s homeless Jan. 23- a survey that occurs on one night in January every year.” That is a lot of homeless people that are out on the streets and shelters. They do not all get into shelters some sleep at night on the street. They did this study just a week before the city council is supposed to have the final vote in which I wrote about in last week’s blog. They found out in the study that: “Nearly 1,000 people were unsheltered that night; 600 respondents said domestic violence was the reason for their homelessness, and 3,239 people were considered “newly homeless.” Nearly 1000 people lived on the streets and not in a shelter. They have about 1,700 shelter beds in Denver. “.. about 10,000 fewer than needed.” If this ordinance passes where are they going to put all those people; in jail? The police it would seem would be spending most of their time catching homeless people? Who are these homeless people? “We see this rise every year… That changes the stereotype of what people think a homeless person is. These are children.” They are family with kids. If there is no room in shelters what are they going to do with these children? A lot of unanswered questions, it seems they are pushing this through so fast and are not thinking about the consequences of what will really happen. It is more than just the mentally ill. “You have to have somewhere to go… adding that families with children make up about 64 percent of the region’s homeless population. They should think of a way to help these people rather than pass a bill making camping illegal on the streets of Denver. To me I think they are just pushing this measure through and not given a chance to stop and think what might happen.