Effect of Deployment on the Occurrence of Child Maltreatment in Military and Nonmilitary Families

E. Danielle Rentz; Stephen W Marshall; Dana Loomis; Carri Casteel; Sandra L Martin; Deborah A Gibbs

doi:10.1093/aje/kwm008

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Effect of Deployment on the Occurrence of Child Maltreatment in Military and Nonmilitary Families

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Effect of Deployment on the Occurrence of Child Maltreatment in Military and Nonmilitary Families

E. Danielle Rentz, Stephen W Marshall, Dana Loomis, Carri Casteel, Sandra L Martin and Deborah A Gibbs

American journal of epidemiology, Vol.165(10), pp.1199-1206

02/28/2007

DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm008

PMID: 17329716

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Abstract

War has a profound emotional impact on military personnel and their families, but little is known about how deployment-related stress impacts the occurrence of child maltreatment in military families. This time-series analysis of Texas child maltreatment data from 2000 to 2003 examined changes in the occurrence of child maltreatment in military and nonmilitary families over time and the impact of recent deployment increases. The rate of occurrence of substantiated maltreatment in military families was twice as high in the period after October 2002 (the 1-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks) compared with the period prior to that date (rate ratio = 2.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.85, 2.50). Among military personnel with at least one dependent, the rate of child maltreatment in military families increased by approximately 30% for each 1% increase in the percentage of active duty personnel departing to (rate ratio = 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.20, 1.37) or returning from (rate ratio = 1.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.16, 1.48) operation-related deployment. These findings indicate that both departures to and returns from operational deployment impose stresses on military families and likely increase the rate of child maltreatment. Intervention programs should be implemented to mitigate family dysfunction in times of potential stress.

child abuse

military medicine

military personnel

social medicine

stress

Details

Title: Subtitle: Effect of Deployment on the Occurrence of Child Maltreatment in Military and Nonmilitary Families
Creators: E. Danielle Rentz - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stephen W Marshall - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dana Loomis - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Carri Casteel - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Sandra L Martin - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Deborah A Gibbs - RTI International
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: American journal of epidemiology, Vol.165(10), pp.1199-1206
DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm008
PMID: 17329716
NLM abbreviation: Am J Epidemiol
ISSN: 0002-9262
eISSN: 1476-6256
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Language: English
Date published: 02/28/2007
Academic Unit: Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9984226820502771

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