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Published January 9, 2011
Our Schools

Should We End Military Recruiting in High Schools as a Matter of Child Protection and Public Health?

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Recruiters for the various US armed forces have free access to our nation's high schools, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. In a recent paper published in the American Journal of Public Health, Seattle writers Amy Hagopian and Kathy Barker find that military recruiter behaviors are disturbingly similar to predatory grooming.

Adults in the active military service are reported to experience increased mental health risks, including stress, substance abuse, and suicide, and the youngest soldiers consistently show the worst health effects, suggesting military service is associated with disproportionately poor health for this population.

They  describe the actions of a high school parent teacher student association in Seattle, Washington, which sought to limit the aggressive recruitment of children younger than 18 years into the military.

 

Get full access to the paper here

(5) Comment(s)

I am a high school student that is currently enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program in the Army National Guard and i say it was the best choice ive made. I come from a family of eight and if it wasnt for the Guard i wouldnt be able to attend college or get my start in criminal justice. Thanks to the Guard i am able to live out my dreams. And the 140 dollars a month helps out a lot

Posted by Trevor Parr on Feb 01, 2011
Trevor, there are many ways to pay for college or to find jobs. It is true that it is harder to find out about those opportunities, as no one else has the military's budget or the government mandate to be in public schools. Seattle Public schools, as have other districts, has cut funding for the College and Career Center specialists in high schools. With the bad economy, and little or no information given to students about the realities of war and the military, the military is having little trouble filling its quotas. No one should be subjected to that pressure of a poverty draft in high school.
Each person must make his own decisions, and I wish you luck and safety. But the process of recruiting students in high school is sophisticated and shameful, and should be restricted.

Posted by Kathy Barker on Feb 03, 2011
I can not speak for other recruiters, But I would contact or be contacted by a student and explain ALL aspects of the service, education, leadership and retirement.. Many civilian jobs can not be done until the age of 21 or have a degree. But in the service, someone who wants to be a first responder can get experience and after a 3 year hitch can apply at most likely have their app on the top of the list.
That being said, everybody has a choice.. If the prospect says they are interested I move on to someone else. I never pressured. I asked if it is ok to call or when they can call me.

Posted by SSG Edward S. Inman on Apr 27, 2011
As I am a scholar of military academy and I don't think it is a good idea to stop recruting in high schools for military. It is not true that it affects the kids or public health. Military training programs are really excellent for the children.
http://www.militaryschools.net/

Posted by hybridjohn on Sep 06, 2011
Recruitment for the military in high school is not that bad. It is actually an opportunity for the least fortunate to have a clean work and to finish education up to the tertiary level. Here they will be well trained and disciplined. You can even enroll your teens willingly to teen military schools to get them started, for more info on teen military schools click here .

Posted by John James on Sep 28, 2011

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