Child Soldier Persuasive Essay

Child soldiers are victims because they were drugged with cocaine and marijuana so then the kids will do what they were told, but i think child soldiers should get amnesty because they had no control of going into war or staying out of war. These kids were drugged and threatened to do all of these things and if the kids didn't do it then they would be shot or most likely killed.

First off, child soldiers are often forced to be recruited. “Often they are abducted at school, on the streets or at home.” ("From Cradle to War." Amnesty International. Amnesty International USA, Web. 3 May 2016.) Almost all child soldiers are forced to do things as a soldier that they wouldn’t actually do, such as hurt or kill others. So although some child soldiers want to hurt or kill, most don’t want to. So obviously, most child soldiers are forced to do bad things that they don’t want to do, and wouldn’t do if they hadn’t become a soldier.

A lot of people disagree that children should not be prosecutions because they are not responsible for their actions and the only reason they are including young people is because they know that they would not be blamed but the kids are. Prosecution only happen after the war has ended so those who recruit child soldiers will not take this into consideration. Basically it’s saying prosecution only happens when a war it’s finish or about to start. So there’s no reason why the children should be blamed for their actions. Child soldiers often victims of the war

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.

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.

The children in the war were in a kill or be killed situation. The children didn’t have a choice except to follow orders from their commanders or they would get killed. They had to fight and kill others to stay alive. A quote from the article “Child Soldiers” (To what extent should child soldiers be held accountable for their crimes?) states, “Furthermore, many children join without carefully thinking through their decision. At the time they might believe that recruiting would lead to a safer life as necessities such as food, water and shelter would be available; actually fighting in war would not cross their mind.” This quote proves that child soldiers are victims because the only reason that some joined was because they had to or else they would die. Also because when they joined they didn’t really know what was going to happen and they didn’t know about the all of the mass killings that would occur. They were just focused on staying alive and getting the basic necessities that they needed like food, water, and shelter. If they wouldn’t have joined then they could have died from hunger or the harsh weather. They chose to defend themselves by joining the

No, it should not be about holding child soldiers responsible for their actions. Instead, it should be about getting children like Beah inserted into rehabilitation. The child soldiers are trained to be horrible they can’t help themselves. “We had been fighting for over two years, and killing had become a daily activity…My childhood had gone by without my knowing, and it seemed as if my heart had frozen,”(page 127). Beah has been deprived of his childhood and all he knows is the war. Like teen gang members, he’s brainwashed into thinking and acting the way he does, while being told it’s the right thing to do. He’s growing up around a cycle of violence; everyday is a struggle to stay alive. Beah has been denied his childhood since the day the

A lot of the children interviewed within the first chapter of Peter W. Singer’s book Children at War are under the age of 12. They speak of torturing people in the most horrific of ways. Such as when joining the paramilitaries, A., age twelve, states that the first thing they make you do is kill someone. A random person is picked for the recruits to chop off his hands and arms. It is important to realize however, that not all of these child soldiers are as young as 7. Singer explains that a “A ‘child soldier’ is generally defined (under both international law and common practice) as any person under eighteen years of age who is engaged in deadly combat or combat support as part of an armed force or group.” What is most horrendous is

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

When it comes to prosecuting young children solders there are two very strong arguments. One brings up that the child soldiers are not morally responsive for their actions

Child soldiers have killed too many people to just let them go in the open world, whether it is America, London, etc. Child soldiers are no different from child and even adult criminals. According to Child Soldiers, Prosecution, child soldiers are responsible for acts of rape, mutilation and mass killings of civilians. Some people never fully heal from traumatic experiences like mass killings and just individual child soldiers killing dozens of people during war. Therefor, even child soldiers can and should be responsible for the worst of crimes.

Child soldiers can run away and make their own decisions and they have anywhere to go. To be fair, it is hard for them to run away from their leader. Especially when they’re are given shelter and food. Some say that the children have experienced so much death, they’ve lost empathy. And yet people like Ishmael escape and make it out alive. They get to share their experiences and things they have witness. Most children and teens from the ages 7-16 know what they’re doing is wrong. If we get mad at our own kids for stealing a candy bar from the store, then how would you feel if your kid went and shot up a school. They deserve the help but they also need punishment too.

As I said in the first sentence, they are victims of the war they are fighting. The government that is prosecuting the children should be prosecuting the commanders. They using the children as soldiers and fall guys ( the people pay for the crime to other people made them

Some of these crimes children could actually be charged as adults so if they weren't forced to do these things they should be punished even if they are kids. For example, Taymor McIntyre from Long Beach California, only 16 years old when he was charged with murder in Texas. Even though he was only 16 he was tried as an adult with a life sentence in prison. This shows that no matter what the ages of the severity of the crime children still can get charged a with a crime that they committed. He was not forced to do this crime and got jail time for it. However, when child soldiers commit crimes very similar to this and do not get tried as an adult just because of their

“Compelled to become instruments of war, to kill and be killed, child soldiers are forced to give violent expression to the hatreds of adults” (“Child Soldiers” 1). This quotation by Olara Otunnu explains that children are forced into becoming weapons of war. Children under 18 years old are being recruited into the army because of poverty issues, multiple economic problems, and the qualities of children, however, many organizations are trying to implement ways to stop the human rights violation.