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. 2011 Jan;101(1):19-23.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.183418. Epub 2010 Nov 18.

Should we end military recruiting in high schools as a matter of child protection and public health?

Amy Hagopian  1 , Kathy Barker
Affiliations

Should we end military recruiting in high schools as a matter of child protection and public health?

Amy Hagopian et al. Am J Public Health. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

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. 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. We 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.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Students at Garfield High School in Seattle, WA, drop to the floor for pushups under the command of a military recruiter at the school in 2009. Note. Photo by K. Barker.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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