Child Soldiers Research Paper

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.

These Children are being exploited from their families and then taking into custody. Human service reports that children are being brutally recruitment, by being taken away and often being harassed by older people. This is a society impact, this is a big problem, for the global impact, which can work together to reintegrate, child soldiers back to society to make them, a productive individuals. All around the world every child has dream of going to school and learning about everything, but in some states that's not the case they are compelled to become instruments of war kill, and to be killed. Child soldiers are being forced to give violent expression towards adults, they are often thought that adults are the main enemy and they are always thought that they are alone in this

Imagine being taken from your house and your family and being forced to fight in a war. This is what some child soldiers have to go through. Not to mention after they are taken they have to risk their lives and be forced to kill. Some are even as young as 5. Child soldiers should receive amnesty if they were young when they were taken, were forced, and show remorse after they were rescued and understand what they did.

What are child soldiers? Child soldiers are people under eighteen who partake in either a regular or irregular armed group in any way. According to Warchild there are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world and often as a part of their recruitment they are forced to either kill or maim a loved one so that they cannot go back home. In Ishmael Beah’s novel A Long Way Gone (Memoirs of a Boy Soldier) the author recounts his life as a child soldier fighting on the government side in Sierra Leone from age thirteen to sixteen. This paper will be attempting to answer the questions of why certain armed groups use children, why it is wrong to do so, and how people are taking a stand to stop it.

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.

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.

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.

How would you define ‘child soldier?’ Child soldiers are defined as ‘any children under the age of 18 who are recruited by a state or non-state armed group.’ It is estimated that there are about 300,000 child soldiers that are active in conflicts around the world. I believe child soldier should be given amnesty because drugs were involved, most were forced into the situation, and they were robbed of their innocence. Drugs can play a role in people’s behavior, no matter if it's an adult, a teen, or a kid.

There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world right now, both good and bad. For instance, we have North Korea and their nuclear missiles to pollution and overpopulation. Along with this, there is a long standing problem of child soldiers. Child soldiers are children who are in some military or fighting group, and many of them are either recruited by force or are abducted. These child soldiers are made to or even choose to do terrible things, like massacring innocent people.

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

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.

Children in US are perceived as the next generation, the future per say. We have multiple laws across the country to punish many ways of what we call is child abuse. While some may argue more could be done, I feel the intention to protect the children in this country is not questionable for most people. While reading these articles about children soldiers, one thing is clear: poverty and education seems to be the common ground why children are either forced, or willingly join an army.

Child Soldiers is a major global issue which is affecting todays 21st century. Many Countries around the world are illegally operating child soldiers such as Burma and Sierra Leone currently there is a crisis as many more children are being subject to this cruel act. Many world media and Non-governmental organisations such as the guardian and Human rights watch have reported thousands of child soldiers in Myanmar Burma. The Convention on the rights of a child and the Universal declaration of human rights strictly prohibits children in armed conflict further the United Nations further prohibits children in armed conflicts. The International Criminal Court has previously dealt with Thomas Labunga a leader of the liberation forces of the Congo whom used children as young as 10 in his military . However these measures have not been effective as there are still children in conflict due to state sovereignty.

Worldwide, the use of child soldiers is a huge issue. Today, there are over 300,000 child soldiers worldwide. Every one of these soldiers are heavily armed and dangerous. They have been becoming a threat to America and the world. No matter their age, they have done terrible thing in behalf of terrible causes. Even as America continues to bring these kids to back in hope to rescue them, most if not all attempts to civilize them have failed. These kids have been swindled, drugged and brainwashed. There is simply no hope for them to return to their right mind.

Around 120,000 adolescent children are now engaged in conflicts throughout Africa (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 4). In Sudan, for instance, thousands of children, some as young as 12, were recruited against their will into separatist and government groups (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 5). Thousands more children have been enlisted into the armed forces throughout Asia and the Pacific. The most significant numbers are in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and recently, Cambodia. Myanmar, a country in Asia, has some of the most child soldiers throughout the world, with children being recruited into both non-government and government armed forces (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 6). The number of child soldiers has been decreasing annually, but these children are still being taken against their will.