Responsibility.org Supports Military Children

We know that when a military member serves, the whole family serves. They all make sacrifices, face challenges, and endure times of high risk and uncertainty. We are dedicated to honoring these families with programs and resources to help guide a lifetime of conversations and keep kids healthy and substance-free.

Military families volunteer to serve on behalf of all Americans, and, as a result, they experience unique challenges on many levels. Responsibility.org is committed to providing service members, veterans, and their families the information and resources they need to withstand, recover, and thrive.

Children in military families can experience stressful events, such as the threat of war, deployment, moving, and switching schools. These stressors may result in kids being more prone to giving in to negative peer pressure and engaging in risky behaviors such as underage drinking as a means to cope with difficult situations or in the hopes of fitting in or making new friends. This is why Responsibility.org is partnering with the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and others to share resources from the “Ask, Listen, Learn” program and all of our parent support and awareness programs with military families.

Military and civilians alike often need help to have meaningful conversations and empower their kids to say “yes” to a healthy lifestyle and “no” to underage drinking.

The" Ask, Listen, Learn underage drinking prevention" program aims to reduce underage drinking and underage cannabis use by providing resources for parents and caregivers to start conversations with their kids about the dangers of underage drinking.

Together with our partners in the military and veteran community, we specifically target parents and caregivers because research shows that one of the most influential factors during a child’s adolescence is maintaining a strong and open relationship with a parent.¹

When parents create supportive and nurturing environments, children make better decisions. Though it may not always seem like it, children really hear their parents’ concerns, which is why it’s important that parents discuss the risks of using alcohol and drugs.¹

When it comes to talking to kids, not every conversation is about alcohol. But kids - even at a very young ago - can learn about responsibility, healthy decision making, and the difference between right and wrong. It may not seem like it, but kids are watching, listening, and learning. If they are seeing something, then it's time to talk about it. And that includes starting conversations about so many topics - including alcohol. Responsibility.org inspires a lifetime of conversations around alcohol. Since parents are the leading influence on their kids’ decisions to drink - or not to drink - alcohol, these conversations must happen early and often, starting in elementary school and continuing through middle school, high school, college, and beyond.

Resources

Citations

1 National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships. Working Paper No. 1. From http://developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/ uploads/2004/04/Young-Children-Develop-in-an- Environment-of-Relationships.pdf (accessed June 19, 2018).