Parenting, Resilience, and Wellbeing: A Comparative Study of Children from Military and Civilian Families

Abstract

This study examines the impact of parental military service on children’s perceptions of parenting, resilience, and well-being, in comparison to children of civilian personnel. Utilizing purposive sampling, data were gathered from 182 students aged 14 to 18 from schools in Delhi and Porbandar affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Scales such as the Perception of Parents Scales (Grolnick, Deci, & Ryan, 1997), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Davidson & Connor, 2003), and PERMA Profiler (Butler & Kern, 2016) were employed for data collection. The data was analyzed using SPSS, with a t-test comparing children of military and civilian personnel, and Pearson’s correlation assessing the relationship between variables. Results showed that maternal autonomy support played a crucial role in enhancing positive emotions, fostering strong relationships, promoting a sense of meaning, encouraging accomplishment, and contributing to overall well-being. Children of military personnels exhibited higher loneliness and lower well-being scores, particularly in meaning and accomplishment, suggesting that frequent relocations, parental deployments, and instability in social environments may hinder their ability to form deep relationships and achieve personal goals. These findings highlight the significance of autonomy-supportive parenting and targeted support programs in addressing the challenges faced by military families.