A research study on the wellbeing, family functioning and social development of adolescents in military families.
This Canadian initiative (2008-2011), undertaken by researchers at the University of New Brunswick, the University of Alberta, Ryerson University, and York University, is funded by the Standard Research Grants program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The project's organizational collaborator and partner is New Brunswick School District 17.
This initiative represents virtually the first research to be undertaken on the adolescent children of Canadian Forces (CF) members; its ultimate objective is to discover what is unique about military adolescents' transitions to adulthood. Its medium term objectives have been to:
- compare adolescents from military families with their civilian peers (a) at the same high school, and (b) nationally
- begin uncovering how the stressors of military life are related to adolescents' wellbeing, family functioning and social development
- begin discovering the conditions under which CF adolescents are best able to flourish and thrive, amidst the stressors of CF life
- offer policy recommendations which will help School District 17 to improve its responsiveness to the needs of the civilian members of CF families.
