300,000 children around the world fight in wars instead of going to school, would you want to be in that situation?Children that have commited war crimes are often the topic for controversy, should they be given amnesty, or should they be prosecuted?Around the world, wars are occuring, and children are taking part in it. In countries like Sierra Leone, kids are joining armies to fight for them, and this can lead them to be involved in war-crimes. Adults that break the laws are usually arrested, but it’s a different story for the children. These children that fight alongside armies should be given amnesty even though they have committed crimes because of their particular situations. One of the main reasons why Child soldiers should be given …show more content…
Evidence that prove this can be found in the article “Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted” and it states “They may also be selective because of lack of evidence or an overloaded justice system, so not every child soldier will be prosecuted. It is better to have a comprehensive program of rehabilitation so that all child soldiers can be reintegrated into society and rehabilitated.” The article quotes that other methods might include rehabilitation, that might be better for the kids and the society. Specifically a part in the Article “Child Soldiers:Victims or Perpetrators?” states “In addition to this, many believe, including me, that rehabilitation should be the aim and not punishment.The Truth and Reconciliation Commissions and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reconciliation program, often abbreviated TTR and DDR, are far better ways of helping children recover and reintegrate back into society and out of war.” The quote clearly explains that the rehabilitation should also be the aim and not a punishment because it is a more effective way to change the life of the kids and also of the society that surrounds
At a young age it’s difficult to grasp the concept of death, but as time passes, the youth turn into the old and the old turn into the deceased. Whether people like it or not, death plays a role in their lives and it’s something no one can escape. Child soldiers are forced to kill, and if they don’t then they too are killed. Young children are trained into fierce warriors every day, and stopping this action has proven to be difficult. It can be argued from a recruiter that brings in children that children are disposable, easy to train, and almost infinite. Most of these kids never receive a chance to do what they want in life, furthermore it seems like children, especially in Africa, are being picked off the streets they’re grapes on a grapevine. The International Justice System appeals to cases like this everyday, as it can be a struggle to understand if a child is truly remorseful, and if they deserve amnesty. Children who are forced into crime should be given a chance to redeem themselves, as they generally have no intention to cause harm.
Around the globe, in the past and present, children are being recruited to fight as soldiers in wars sometimes as young as 5 and up until they are 18 or older. These children soldiers should not be given amnesty because giving them amnesty could give others encouragement to keep using them, everyone has the same rights which means everyone has the same consequences, and some child soldiers have committed the most violent and harsh acts in wartime, and they can be dangerous to keep in our country.
While some child soldiers may deserve forgiveness and a second chance, the majority do not. Child soldiers are, unfortunately, a good strategic move. Adult soldiers will think twice before shooting one. These kids don’t have the mental maturity to understand that what they did was wrong. They were kidnapped at a very young age. Taxpayers have to pay to find out whether or not a child soldier is innocent. Witnesses are needed as well as psychologists. Unfortunately, it is too expensive to find out whether or not they deserve amnesty.
One significant piece of evidence to support the claim that child soldiers are both the victims and be given amnesty is Ishmael who is a former child soldier who has been given amnesty and he tells others about his experience as a child soldier. He was taking refuge in a camp and forced to be a soldier. Before, he and other child soldiers went on missions they were given drugs and he does not remember much of what he had done. This piece of evidence supports the claim that child soldiers are the victims and should be given amnesty, because it shows that they do not have a choice in becoming a soldier and are given drugs so they are not are thinking clearly and they don’t know what they are doing.
Child soldiers do deserve amnesty, as long as they go through therapy and mental rehabilitation. Child soldiers are often forcibly recruited, so most of them don’t want to hurt or kill. Although some say child soldiers don’t deserve amnesty, most of the child soldiers don’t want to kill or harm others. And although some child soldiers want to hurt and/or kill others, all child soldiers deserve amnesty because they are just kids; so they should have therapy or mental rehabilitation before total forgiveness, so in all, all child soldiers deserve amnesty somehow.
All around the world there are nearly 300,000 child soldiers. Should they all be prosecuted as criminals, or given the chance to change in rehab facilities? This is a very touchy topic for many people, as they may have been personally affected by child soldiers involved in violent conflicts all over the world. There are many ways the children could get into these awful wars. They could be forced into it via poverty, loss of parents, loss of home, or they join the army on their own accord, believing that they are helping the rebel cause. Child soldiers are becoming more and more common in poverty or war stricken countries. Should these children be prosecuted for doing things they have no interest in doing or be treated as victims and be allowed
On average half of the children who are fighting on rebel armies in africa were kidnapped and forced to take drugs, most of these kids are not even 15 years old but they have to fight or they will be killed by the rebel commanders. If any of these children escape the war they may have many years to a life time of PTSD and become scarred for life. From this I believe that child soldiers are victims and should not be punished by what rebels force them to do.
Child soldiers should be given amnesty for what they did in the battlefield. Usually they are all drugged up by their commanders to know what they're doing is wrong.
They don’t deserve rehabilitation, let alone amnesty. People have expressed this belief with phrases such as, “child soldiers are no different from child criminals” (Debatewise) or, “these children knew exactly what they were doing and should not be excused from their actions simply because they are thought to be too young to take responsibility” (Debatewise). It cannot be denied that these statements have some truth to them, however harsh they may be. A nine-year-old in America who commits a crime shouldn’t be treated differently than a nine-year-old in Iraq with an army alongside him and a gun on his shoulder. And yet, if a juvenile American offender can be rehabilitated, child soldiers should be granted the same
Did you know that more than 200,000 children around the world were forced into the brutalities of war and participated in acts of criminality? Many people believe child soldiers should be given amnesty and forgiven for the crimes they have committed. Child soldiers are homeless, kidnapped, and/or parentless children who were manipulated by officials in the military. Kids, as young as the age of 10, go to military bases to seek shelter and then are fed with drugs which disengaged with reality. Brainwashed, these kids are put into war and forced to fight for a certain side. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are forced to participate in War, they are taken from the streets or their homes and used because they are easy to manipulate, and they have been robbed from their childhood and have their still progressing brains to grow into a warlike mindset.
So instead of trying to punish them for their actions, should they be given amnesty instead? There are many reasons to why child soldiers even do what they do. According to the article Child Soldiers - Summative Essay, many of them are forced to join out of their own will. This includes them being kidnapped from their family and taken to some military camp to being forcefully recruited into serving a specific fighting group. Children are forced to serve by commanders through false promises, drugs, and other things that are unimaginable.
Imagine looking around you and seeing children your age and younger falling to their knees in pain, imagine hearing guns and screams all around you, now just imagine you are one of those children falling to their knees in pain and you had no choice to join into this gruesome reality that children 5-15 and older have to participate in without a choice. This is just an example of what most children have to go through for weeks or maybe months at a time. This is exactly why I'm against the prosecution of child soldiers. The deeds that they perform are because they have either been manipulated, have no choice, or they just don't know right from wrong. Prosecuting a child soldier is probably the worst decision ever and here is why.
All around the world more than 10 million children under the age of 18 are fighting in a war. More than half voluntarily, and the other fourth forced. These children are drugged, and taught that it is good to be a slaughterer, a murderer. Yes, some don’t have a choice. But to think of all the things they were mindlessly taught. Do you really think they can change, just like that? Child soldiers have been responsible for some of the most brutal and violent acts in wartime, and many who are released into the real world, end up going back into their old ways. Not prosecuting child soldiers may encourage commanders to use more child soldiers to commit war crimes that would otherwise be punished if an adult did them. Do we really want a bunch of
Child soldiers are struggling with recovering from their unbearable life they lived involving wars and deaths. These are children who become fearless and careless on killing innocent lives such as their own blood, in order to keep themselves alive. These children are either considered victims or perpetrators, but their isn’t a wrong or right answer. Child soldiers live in a terrible place that isn’t required for these children. Throughout society today there has been multiple arguments on how to categorize these children in. Some may argue, Child soldiers are perpetrators because they’re well matured to make their own decision and are well capable of having protection. However, others may argue that these children are victims because they’re
Some say that these children will never change and will always want war and therefore they should be prosecuted. But these children had no idea what they were doing, they were drugged, threatened and afraid. Some child soldiers are tortured and raped(Leaphy 1). Also “if a child under 15 is considered too young to fight, then he or she must also be considered too young to be held criminally responsible for serious violations of IHL while associated with armed forces or armed groups”(Should Child