Scotty’s Little Soldiers has released the most comprehensive analysis to date of children and young people bereaved of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces, marking 15 years since the charity was founded.
The report draws on data from 753 children and young people who have joined Scotty’s since 2010. It offers an unprecedented look at who is accessing support, how quickly families are reaching out, and the challenges bereaved military children face throughout their childhood and into early adulthood.
Key findings show that:
- Scotty’s quickly and equitably reaches bereaved military families following a death. With 65% of newer members joining within one year of death, and equitable representation across the branches and ranks. We were particularly pleased to see that bereaved veteran families are finding us nearly as quickly as those in service at death.
- Military families bereaved by suicide are most likely to seek help from the charity. Families bereaved by suicide are more likely to join the charity than other causes of death, and in particular veteran Army families bereaved by suicide. This finding is important as children bereaved by parental suicide are at greater risk of suicidal ideation than children bereaved by other causes of death and so it is important to have readily accessible, long-term support available.
- Bereaved military families need long term Respite breaks is one of the most highly utilised services we offer, with 92% of children accessing at least one break and 88% of children accessing multiple respite breaks. The high demand for breaks is maintained across many years (up to ten years) demonstrating the longevity of need. The consistently high uptake across all ranks shows these breaks offer something deeper than “just a holiday”: protected time for families to reconnect, talk, and heal.
- Bereaved military children who struggle to cope with their grief need support to manage anger issues, self-harm and access to education. Amongst children accessing 1:1 support, the majority of children (59%) reported having problems with anger, and over a quarter said they were self-harming or had thoughts of suicide. Half of the children accessing support reported a negative impact on education including disengagement from school, school absenteeism, and inability to concentrate in lessons.
Nikki Scott, Founder of Scotty’s, said:
“When I set up Scotty’s after my husband, Corporal Lee Scott, died in Afghanistan, I wanted to make sure no bereaved military child ever felt alone. Fifteen years on, this research shows the very real and long-term challenges these children face, and why it’s vital that Scotty’s is here for them, not just in the immediate aftermath, but throughout their childhood and into adulthood. We are now looking ahead to how we can build on this foundation and explore extending support to the wider military community in the future.”
Key areas for further study are also identified, including the needs of children under 10, the role of extracurricular activities in bereavement support, and the growing number of veteran Army families bereaved by suicide who are approaching Scotty’s for help.
By publishing this report at its 15-year milestone, Scotty’s aims to strengthen the evidence base available to the sector and ensure that the voices and needs of bereaved military families are better understood.
Read the research – 15 Years of Support: Scotty’s Releases Largest-Ever UK Study on Bereaved Military Children | Scotty’s Little Soldiers
