Civil War Human Rights Violations

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

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 recruitment and use of child soldiers is still a lingering issue in the world. Primarily in third world countries, hundreds of thousands of children are forced to fight and kill others. They are utterly helpless to do anything about their situation. They live

Lastly in an article I read on the Enduring mental scars on the children in revealed, “DDR or Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration rule the international community’s response in post-conflict situations. But for children whose only memories are made up of scenes from a war reintegration proves to be extraordinarily difficult.” In this text they were talking about what they typically see in experience with the mental health of the child soldiers and how it is difficult to help treat

Last, these kids go through trauma that can never be reversed. Kids who experience war like this can never be an active member of society. This is because they have learned that killing is necessary to survive this will never change due to the trauma imprinted on the them from a young age. The kids go through so much at a young age it’s almost impossible. As the kids grow and so does their brain things such as the ptsd they contract from fighting can mess them up for life. This is why child soldiers should be

War has affected many people, and in those countries that war has reached it has left many obstacles to overcome. Children and their parents have been affected greatly. Children that live in poverty, children that have lost a parent, lack basic necessities, are often forced to fight in wars and become child soldiers. Children are of described as someone who is under the age of eighteen, but in reality a child is a young person dependent on an adult. Child soldiers are faced with very difficult decisions that can be very traumatic to someone at that age.Child soldiers are often taken advantage of, being sexually assaulted or have been forced to kill people. They can be haunted by the decisions they make during their time as a soldier and

Why and how children are use for war? For hundreds of years, children have suffered many hardships during armed conflicts, and they have been especially vulnerable to being recruited, abducted or forced into joining armed groups for the sake of child soldiering. Around the world, there are more than 250,000 child soldiers deployed in active combat today. Six million child soldiers have become disabled or displaced, and two million have been killed. Armed conflict imposes huge hardship on young people living in war zones.

Cregan & Cutherbert explains how, the lived experienced of child soldier is more complex than the polarized representation in the media (2014, pg. 93). In much of the media coverage, around responsibility of the child’s actions come up. Media fails to show child soldiers agency within these circumstance, and only show these children as vulnerable and helpless. Child soldier are forced into murderer however are labeled dangerous and disorderly (Denov, 2012,pg. 235). These depictions are highly racialized and imbued with stereotypes, depictions of child soldiers as ‘dangerous’ and ‘disorderly’ work to underscore the perceived moral superiority of the North compared to the ‘savage’ South (Macmillan, 2009).” As Denov suggested states, portraying child soldiers as largely threatening, and uncivilised, the bulk of international news reporting, and much of academic and policy-oriented discourse, has tended to ‘pathologies’ children in armed conflict (2012, pg. 236) . The media plays a central role in how society views child soldiers and it is important to be critical of this

Child soldiers is an ongoing issue worldwide. I was completely aware of this injustice however, I was not cognizant of the extent of this matter or where it was taking place. Before listening to Nicholas’s presentation I was mindful of the detrimental impacts war has on families, land, workers, and children. Some of these impacts may include the destruction of homes, loss of child or PTSD, depression and other mental illnesses that affect the way children think. In spite of this, I did not have a thorough knowledge of the severity of this situation.

As a kid have you ever thought what is would be like to be in the army? Well child soldiers as young 8 are living that day after day because that is there only choice. All of these children have been taught how to live as a soldier,the children don’t have any family, and how to kill without any mental effect. These child soldiers are victims of war and torture.

As the population is increasingly targeted in wars, children establish an increasing number among the victims of each conflict. In some countries, a whole generation of children seems to have grown up without knowing peace (Herath 2004). A lot has been written about the effects of war on people, and the psychological consequences they bear as a result of traumatic experiences—yet, there is a lack of studies focusing on the psychological burden of female child soldiers. While it might be evident, war and extensive violence leave deep psychological scars—it is essential to understand what shape these scars on female children. The relevance of the topic is striking—on a humanitarian and developmental level psychological trauma may be long lasting. With so many young children affected, if not efficiently tackled the damage could hinder victims life’s (Kiyala 2015). I will analyze the impact of war traumas on female children soldier and their reintegration to society.

Children do not have the same responsibilities in society as adults. They cannot vote, drink or drive. And, of course, they are not punished in the same way as adults for crimes they commit, because they are judged not to possess the moral foundation and grounding that would allow them to understand fully the consequences of their actions. Child soldiers are distinct from other armed forces because they are both minors and not complicit in their fate.3 The reality of a child soldier’s life is far removed from that of a normal child. As many as 40 percent of child soldiers are recruited by force, and most others cite hunger, poverty and desperation of life in conflict zones as their reason for joining.4 Fewer than 10 percent are ever paid.5 Their corrupted childhood development precludes any ability for moral judgment. In short, they are not only as ‘innocent’ as any well-fed, first world child, but child soldiers have been removed from their agency. We can envision a scenario in which the ‘correct’ moral judgment would be to sacrifice the life of an adult in favor of the life of a child. The question becomes whether a child’s ‘innocence’ and lack of agency overrides the right of combat troops or peacekeepers to self-defense in this

Starting off with the term “child soldiers”, it already seems as if this a bad thing for children. To give a brief explanation about child soldiers they are mainly children both boys and girls who under the age of 18 and are used for any military purpose. Child soldiers went in war and are told to fight as well as kill. Some countries may not have many people to put forth and army so they would need to have children involved. There are also some children out there who volunteer to join on their own because there are times when they separated from their family. “Child soldiers are right in the middle of a contradiction inherent in the modern construction of youth: innocents versus perpetrators. They are simultaneously feared and cast as innocents

Waking up to clean clothes, food, clean water, and a family is of always good, but waking up to no family, no food, and dirty water is the life of a child soldier. In some parts of the world, such as Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Thailand, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, there is the tremendous dispute over the poor innocent child soldiers. Research has shown that child soldiers are repeated sexual assault can also lead to infection, disease (including HIV/AIDS), uterine deformation, menstrual complications, sterility, and death, as well as to “shock, loss of dignity, shame, low self-esteem, poor concentration and memory, persistent nightmares, depression, and other post-traumatic stress effects.”(Steel). This is one

accompanying an armed conflict groups and is captured by government forces, they are usually treated with intense brutality as enemies rather than as children. Contrary to international standard that a child soldiers should be treated first and foremost as sufferers of war in need of care and assistance for rehabilitation, some have been detained solely on the basis of their alleged association with armed groups, or for desertion and other military offences while in armed forces (Child Soldier Global Report 2008). As it is observed, assistance for children in need tends to be the last priority of the all parties in war, which result in unsatisfactory acts against children that contradicts international standards that that support the rights