Teenagers from military families have been given another free anonymous internet site on which they can ask questions, with a non-profit organization having set up a brand new resource that sees these questions answered by fully-trained counselors. Growing Up Military was launched in late June by KidsPeace as a part of its TeenCentral.Net online community.
Teenagers from military families have often had to move on a very frequent basis, and experienced loss and a great deal of emotional uncertainty, with the new site hoping to offer them a forum, an outlet for their emotions, and a safe environment in which they can ask for advice or help. The site is aimed at young people aged 11-18 and enables them to voice their worries or to ask questions.
In addition to answers provided by counselors at a master’s or doctorate level – usually within 24 hours – the site offers peer support, information and gaming interaction. Young people can register anonymously under a fictional alias and are then able to post their question or worry. The questions are then researched and answered by trained volunteers. The volunteers are not able to post anything else to the site and have no direct contact with the youngsters, with the answers approved by trained counselors and then posted publicly to the site.
Another site from the Department of Defense is Military Kids on the Move, which features information about adjusting and relocation.
Rick Wozniak
