Why Do Children Become A Child Soldiers?

Normally when children are being forced to do things that they wouldn't do, they are easily manipulated to take part in those things. Since they are being forced to take drugs that give them so much energy that they can't go to sleep, it shows how they are being manipulated. Because they are being forced to watch movies that are making them hungry for battle, it is causing the boys to become tools of war at a young age. Therefore, the use of child soldiers should be banned internationally because they are being manipulated. History has proven that the use of child soldiers should be banned internationally because they experience psychological and mental trauma (PTSD).

Child Soldiers Ishmael Beah once said “My squad is my family, my gun is my provider, and protector, and my rule is to kill or be killed”(Beah 116). Most children live a normal and happy life, but not all children live that way. Some children hold baseball bats while others hold guns larger than they are; some children dodge dodgeballs, others dodge bullets. Most children go home to see their parents or guardians, child soldiers often go “home” to their squads and Lieutenants. Child soldiers can be rehabilitated if civilians and officials aren’t indifferent .

It is common for child soldiers had no choice in joining war efforts. Often child are kidnapped and forced into the war: “It is estimated that over the last 15 years 10,000 children have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) around Gula in northern Uganda, alone” (Children in Conflict). In places where poverty is high parents may send their children into the war in exchange for food or monetary value (Children as Soldiers). During Hitler’s reign, young boys were forced to attend Hitler Youth: “Membership in the State Youth becomes mandatory. The boys in Werner’s kameradschaften are taught parade maneuvers and quizzed on fitness standards and required to run sixty meters in twelve seconds. Everything is glory and country and competition and sacrifice” (Doerr 62). Children in wars are also subjected to sexual abuse from adult soldiers around them. The emotional impact from the sexual abuse and the highly dangerous situations they are placed in may last for the rest of their lives (Child Soldier 46). The use of child soldiers has been banned since 2000 when the United Nations adopted a protocol stating that the forced recruitment of children under 18 for armed conflict is illegal. More than 110 countries have ratified this protocol, but it continues to be an issue around the world (Facts About Child

In the article, “Analysis: Should Child Soldiers Be Prosecuted For Their Crimes?” it said the child soldiers were, “Pushed by their commanders to do perpetrating atrocities.” This just goes to show that the children did these horrible things because they were told that it was okay, and that is what they were instructed to do. Also, In the CBS interview with Ishmael Beah, referring to his commanders and fellow child soldiers said, “you develop a strong sense of attachment to these groups and at this time these people are the only type of structure you have in any way.” and also, “you want to please them.” This proves that the children look up to the commanders as a role model, and they think of the other soldiers almost as family. Lastly, in the CBS interview with Ishmael Beah he said, “The sergeants begin to look like older brothers,” and, “The commanders begin to look like your father figure.” This just illustrates that the child soldiers have no body other than the commanders and sergeants to look up to, so they do look up to them, but they are not very good role models. Furthermore, the commanders are not good people for these children to be looking up to, so naturally they learn that doing bad things is okay, and that is all they

War, in and of itself, is an atrocity, but it becomes even more abhorrent when children are pulled into the conflict. Unfortunately, some military groups find children useful in the war effort. The wars these children are forced to be part of often leave wounds--both psychological and physical, but these kids can be healed, at least to an extent, and rehabilitated. Children are often used in war because it is easy and efficient to use them as compared to their adult counterparts. For one, children are easy to control, coerce, and indoctrinate.

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.

Barbara, J. (n.d.). Impact of War on Children and Imperative to End War. Retrieved October 27, 2015. This source discusses the impact of war on children in depth. Children are very attached and dependent to adults. During this war, this attachment was interrupted when families were torn about, separated, and sometimes killed. The separation of families often left children to live with strangers or in ghettos with unsafe living conditions. Children rarely lived normal lives during the war. They were deprived of basic rights, such as getting an education, and kicked out of their homes. This website lists many direct impacts, such as, death, injury, disability, illness, rape, psychological suffering, and child soldiers. Each category gives specific

Most child soldiers are brainwashed by use drugs and alcohol. ”the drugs and alcohol make the children become more compliant enabling them to commit atrocities which they never would have before” said Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators? Article. The children became over reliant on the commander for food, shelter, money, water, drugs,alcohol they find it extremely hard to leave. “The section of the brain known as the frontal lobes controls decision making and only fully develops well into your 20’s. Children simply lack the ability to think of the long term consequences of their actions” said Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators Article.

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.

Some people may say that child soldiers are not morally responsible for their actions due to many reasons. Normally, child soldiers are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This means that they were not in the right state of mind when they made their decisions. A child's brain isn't

In conclusion, I think that child soldiering has negative effects on a child's development and emotional/mental wellbeing. Whether the child was forced to join or volunteered, they are still a victim. Even if they volunteered the circumstances that they faced forced them to join to try to make their lives better. Their roles, whether combat or noncombat, are harmful because the child witnesses and experiences things that no child should experience. From carrying injured soldiers and weapons, to being used as cannon fodder, to being sexually violated on a regular basis, all of these things lower the quality of well being of a child and turns them into insensitive robots with no compassion for other human beings. The terrible things that child soldiers are forced to witness and do are

Throughout the world children younger than 18 are being enlisted into the armed forces to fight while suffering through multiple abuses from their commanders. Children living in areas and countries that are at war are

While this is a valid point, it fails to account for those who were forcefully drugged and/or addicted to the drugs available to them. From the article To What Extent Should Child Soldiers Be Held Accountable for their Crimes, it explains “The drugs and alcohol make the children become more compliant enabling them to commit atrocities which they never would have before.(Child Soldier-Summative Essay )” These soldiers were not in their right minds to make a serious decision like the one mentioned

There are 300,000 child soldiers around the world. 40% of the world uses them. We watched videos, read articles and books to inform us on child soldiers and how they are treated. I believe that child soldiers around the world are victims for many reasons but 3 of them are that they are forced to kill or will be killed, they are forced to take drugs, and they get treated unfairly and they are scarred for their life and have P.T.S.D.

When examining literary and non-literary texts, child soldiers are often branded in western texts as intolerant and an invasion of human rights. These perceptions work to highlight and further problematize the prevailing ideologies regarding child soldiers. The Article Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers, By Ann O'Neill CNN, further depersonalises these child soldiers by telling us that there very vulnerability makes them attractive to the men leading militias, manipulating them to do the unspeakable without question or protest, because their morals and value systems are not yet fully formed. This verifies western beliefs and ideologies relating to guerrilla military leaders exploiting children and their rights to an innocent childhood for