Children In Military Conflict

Political strife has been always present on an international scale with surges of civil war due to government overthrow, sending nations into unrest. Although not common recently, the ideology of recruiting child soldiers still remains, and the lasting effects on the children are traumatizing. From witnessing the carnage of constant bombshells erupting in the distance to whole families being executed, the images are etched deep into their minds, haunting them even after they are discharged from the armies. Although putting an immediate end to child soldiers is unrealistic, the United States should aid in creating and training members of war-affected countries to run long-lasting Rehabilitation centers due to the unqualified and ineffective

“For child soldiers, everyday is a living nightmare” (Chatterjee, 2012). Child soldiers are children under the age of 18 who are used in the military for any source of benefit. Child soldiers worldwide have become a huge issue, leading to many unnecessary deaths as well as lifelong mental trauma. According to “For Child Soldiers, Every Day is a Living Nightmare” 90% of the child soldiers in Liberia show post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as 65% showing depression post-war. Developing these mental illnesses makes the rest of a child’s life a living hell, not to mention their inability to get a job or provide for themselves or their family. Mental illness is probably the best thing you can come out of the war with. An article written in SOS Children’s Villages charity called “Children in Conflict: Child Soldiers” states that over the last 10 years: over 2 million children have been killed, over 1 million children have been orphaned, and over 6 million children have been injured or even disabled, and over 10 million children have struggled with psychological trauma due to war.

Something that makes it hard for children to assimilate back into their lives is the several physical and mental disorders that can occur. In the article, Enduring Scars: Child Soldiers and Mental Health it says “The traumatic experiences that these children are forced to experience lead to increased incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and psychological distress. Even when being compared to other children that lived through civil wars and have witnessed the brutality of war, former child soldiers suffer from markedly higher levels of psychological disorders.” Since their brains have captured the horrible events that happened during their time being a child soldier, they will have flashbacks that will keep them from moving on with their life. Another type of mental illness that may happen is Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety Disorder is when one worries or has a fear of something that interferes with their daily routine. This is most commonly found in child soldiers because they are continuously panicking about what happened to them in the past. In addition, a physical disorder that may possibly happen is a spinal cord injury. When the child is forced to take part in a war he/she may get injured on their spinal cord because the spinal cord is what connects your brain to the other parts of your

First off, child soldiers are held against their will to do dangerous tasks that they have no say in. In an article interviewing Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier, he states, "Somebody being shot in front of you, or you yourself shooting somebody became just like drinking a glass of water. Children who refused to fight, kill or showed any weakness were ruthlessly dealt with.”

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

Greater attention and action against the worldwide use of child soldiers need to be addressed by the world community because children are being forced out of their homes, traumatized by all of the killings and dying surrounding them and they are being starved and beaten. Today, there are thousands of children involved in these armed jobs all around the world. There is an estimated 3,000 children, many under 16, including 500 girls in the army. (“Child Soldiers”)

Imagine a town full of content children getting an education, running around with friends and siblings in the field, and helping their mothers cook and clean in the house. Sadly one day, gunshots and screams echo throughout the whole town and the children are taken away from their families instantly and violently. There is nothing the parents can do about it. The children that were taken away are now not in control of their own lives and are forced to take other's lives. If the children are able to make it back home, people are able to see their fear, trauma, disabilities, and illnesses that have overpowered their childhood. Roughly 300,000 kids are turned into a soldier; around 100,000 boys and girls are from the Middle East (Mancini 34).

while talking to Gettleman (Packet Page 8). This explains that the children are used to and like to use guns. This can result in them using guns on other people who didn’t do anything. Lastly, Gettleman states that the child soldiers are very loyal (Packet page 6). What this Make clear is that no matter how old the children get, they will probably stay with the people they fight with which may result in them fighting again.

War and conflict is ravaging Southern Sudan. Being pulled into battle is not the only thing endangering south Sudanese children. They are being killed, raped, and abducted by both sides of the war. Since 2010, over $1 Billion has been delivered to this government that preys on children. The Child Soldiers Prevention Act cuts off American aid to countries that use child soldiers.

Children are one of the many victims of conflicts especially in places like Syria and Sudan where there is a constant exchange of combat. Many children lose their families or are abducted by one side and are left with nothing. These children have no choice but to join with which ever side will accept them, “Bosco was six years old when he was handed a machete by Ugandan rebels led by Joseph Kony. They demanded he kill his little sister (Juli)... Juli was five. She had to die because she couldn 't keep up with the rebels ' pace as they moved to the next location.” (Christina Ruta, 2013). The children that are pushed into military forces often are intimidated into following orders through means like

In our society, we have many issues, but there is one issue that I will be discussing it is child soldiers.Child soldiers are children who are under the age of 18 who are recruited by a state or non-state armed groups and used as fighters, cooks, suicide bombers, human shields, messengers, spies.Found in many countries, for example, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen.These are some of the countries that have child soldiers.All these countries 40% and above of their population are 15-year-olds which forces them to have child soldiers.Because their population for adults is way too low.Since 1998 there have been armed events including child soldiers in at least 36 district

These kids are being assigned some of the most dangerous tasks like clearing minefields risking being blown to pieces because these jobs are too high risk for the adult soldiers. Here is a quote from the article “Armed & Underage”. “While the number of conflicts involving child soldiers has dropped since 2004 from 27 to 15, human-rights experts estimate that more than 200,000 children worldwide are still being used as combatants, usually against their will. And it isn’t just boys: Girls are often pressed into duty as cooks or messengers. Many are subjected to sexual abuse, including rape.”. There is some proof that these kid are being thought of objects, not people. There is a point to be made that these jobs need to be filled but there are other people that could fill these jobs so that these kid can have a good childhood and if they join the army later than that is their choice, they are not being

From witnessing murders of their own family, to being kidnapped. It wasn’t the children’s choice to be a soldier (most of the time). If you have ever seen the movie, Mulan. You might remember when Mulan’s father was drafted into the army. He had no decision of choosing to serve or not to serve. Even though he could barely walk. That’s the reverse for a child soldiers, they didn’t get to live a long life. In fact, they haven’t had a childhood besides killing people. The children’s families are sometimes dead or participating in these violent acts. Imagine having your family killed and the rest taken away. It would be

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.

According to the Paris Principles on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, a child soldier is a person under 18 that has been recruited by an armed group for purposes that can relate to combat. Among the countries that have child soldiers is the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has a population of 67.5 million. The DRC has had a history of violence and oppression, and an unstable political system has led to more unrest in the present. In the Congo, children are not only used as soldiers, but many are subject to rape and being forced to mine for mineral resources in horrendous conditions, and in order to stop this, either the UN needs to send even more humanitarian aid or big companies need to stop accepting materials from known