Generational Trends in Employment and Crime Among Military Families

Abstract Studies have shown that military service is a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation and other mental health outcomes, such as depression, stress, and anxiety. As veterans experience difficulty in coping with mental health problems, their families suffer, too. Because mental health is a predictor of suicidal ideation, and such mental conditions are associated with criminality, homelessness, and poor employment outcomes, children of military families may find navigating the transition to adulthood difficult in the absence of a parental figure with life stability. With those mentioned above as a foundation, this chapter empirically examines and compares the employment outcomes and criminality of children with and without parents who identify as veterans. Data from a longitudinal study (the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health) are used to construct predictive models of intergenerational trends in said outcomes. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of practice and policy.