Argument Against Child Soldiers

Since volunteering I have meet some admirable, nurturing, and complexed group of people who have devoted their careers to helping families in crucial situations. These group of inspiring people have influenced me in so many ways- especially everyone at the Juvenile Detention Center. When I look around in a room at a meeting for a case, I am absolutely amazed by the number of people that really want to actually help these children get back home or find a safe place to live and improve every aspect of that child’s family life. And we did even know these people but we are all here for the same coming good no one is against

Children Shouldn’t be blamed if they were forced to do something that they didn’t want to. This is called Amnesty because they are not blamed for their actions.

The use of child soldiers have become a normal contribution to armies, especially in countries such as Africa. Although, countries such as Afghanistan, India, and Libya have been using child soldiers since 2011. According to “Children in Conflict: Child Soldiers,” there has been 36 countries involved since 1998. Something needs to be done about this issue due to the fact that thousands of

These children have no choice but to fight if they want to stay alive. These child soldiers shouldn't be persecuted because they are just innocent children who had their families killed, their homes destroyed, and now have nowhere to go. Even if these children wanted to leave, they couldn't because if they did, they would just be killed. These children didn't really have a choice to leave or not, but they got the benefit of food, water and shelter but were forced to kill other innocent people. But overall these children were drugged if they didn't fight so that

Are you aware that right now, at this very moment, there is a group of young boys ages 8-13 who are clenching a gun being ordered to kill against their will? It’s understood that others opinions about the dangers of child soldiers being free are only because they don’t want to risk anything but, isn’t life all about taking risks? You risk your life leaving the house, and breathing. Also, countries should not prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime. There also should not be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Here are three reasons why they should not be prosecuted or held responsible. Also that there should not be an age limit. One. Children are afraid, young, and clueless. Two. Children are 99.99% of the time drugged, forced, and brainwashed. “Children are often brainwashed and drugged before they are forced to fight. Their vulnerability can allow warlords to make them into cold-blooded killers” (O'Neill 1 ). Three. Children are independent, lonesome, and they want/need a family. One that gives them love.

Recently, two million children have died over the past ten years due to becoming a child soldier. A huge deplorable development that has extended recently is the increase of child soldiers. Children are constantly being used as soldiers for various reasons. In some countries, there are more child soldiers than they are adults because children are more compliant. Children have been exploited as soldiers because they are being recruited to do a violent action, it is difficult for them to, later on, assimilate back to their lives, and child soldiers are regularly used in developing countries.

Children all across world are being exploited as child soldiers. Everyday kids younger the age of 10 are putting their lives on the line mostly by force. ¨Over the last ten years, two million children have been killed in conflict. Over one million have been orphaned, over six million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled and over ten million have been left with serious psychological trauma.¨(Children In Conflict). A child soldier is a child with armed forces; they’re trained to fight, cook, be porters, messengers, informant spies, etc. Countries all across the world have been using children to fight, places like the United Kingdom, Africa, and Asia lean on children to do their dirty work regardless of what laws are put into place for recruitment age.

Many children in America do not consider the problem of child soldiers happening around the world today as an issue, and many do not even think about it. Child Soldiers are a continuous problem that should be stopped instantly. Child Soldiers are innocent children who are forced into armed forces and non- state armed groups. Today, there are approximately 300,000 child soldiers in war, and 40% of armed forces are using these children as soldiers. These children are helpless and have little to no choice to go into war and leave their family behind.

“I would like to give you a message, please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So that other children do not have to pass through this violence.”

For years children are being forced by commanders into being a soldier, this is due to conflicts between states and civil wars. Some children are even under 10 years old when they are being forced to serve, despite this, in the last 10 years, at least 10 million children are being killed or left seriously injured. Some children are willingly volunteer themselves, as they believe it would be giving some form of income and security. At least 10 or 30% of soldiers are reported to be girls, they are often used for fighting, many of them are abducted or recruited by the force.

As previously stated, child soldiers are typically viewed as more easily replaced than other soldiers. In turn, this leads to more brutal punishments and a lack of consideration for their wellbeing. The punishments inflicted on the children are similar or worse than the ones inflicted on their adult counterparts which imposes damage that is more destructive to a child than to an adult (Sierra Leone’s Former Child Soldiers). Additionally, the Revolutionary United Front used drugs and alcohol in order to control children and increase their intensity and because of this, many children quickly became addicts. A former child soldier, Ishamael Beah spoke of his experience of cocaine and marijuana withdrawal after being taken off the battle field

For many years, countless children have been used in wars. These kids are forced by their scheming commanders with drugs, false obligations, and threats. They are told to kill innocent people, destroy homes and buildings, act as spies, and so much more. According to child-soldiers.org, “two million children have been killed in conflict. Over one million have been orphaned, over six million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled and over ten million have been left with serious psychological trauma.” Child soldiers endure many unimaginable sights, sounds, and actions that are very harmful to their young, developing minds. While child soldiers are accountable for many crimes, they should still be given a second chance instead of

Many child soldiers have done very bad things to innocent people.Child soldiers are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Many may argue that drugs and alcohol influenced the children to make the decisions that they should not have made. It takes too many resources to figure out if they are still a threat to our society. Even after intense counseling and therapy, we will never know for sure that they are cured unless we let them into the public's eye. Child soldiers should not deserve amnesty.

Child soldiers are victims of cruel recruiters who take advantage of their innocence, forcing them to commit acts that no child should ever experience. They are given drugs to brainwash them and make them unaware of what they are doing (Helping to heal child soldiers). The only things they know are the orders they’re given, orders that they can either follow or be killed (Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators). Child soldiers should be given amnesty as it is unjust to prosecute a child for actions they were forced to commit while under the influence of drugs. Instead, rehabilitation should be provided to give these children a second chance.

In the last ten years over two million children have been killed, over one million orphaned, over six million have been left seriously injured or permanently disabled and over 10 million have been diagnosed with psychological trauma (Invisible Children 1). Here, they are referring to the infamous child soldiers. The issue of child soldiers has a long history of positive and negative reviews, but in summary, child soldiers are put into war as unofficial soldiers. These kids are treated so terribly by their commanders and fellow soldiers that they can become a threat to society upon their release from battle. There is an ongoing debate amongst society regarding whether or not these child soldiers should be given amnesty or charged for their crimes.