Child Soldiers

Organizations such as the United Nations and UNICEF have not until recently entered the controversial topic of the child soldier epidemic. In a recent analysis, reports state that over 300,000 children seventeen and under are used as soldiers in more than seventy-five percent of the conflicts worldwide. According to the article, “Children at War” by P.W. Singer, almost eighty percent of the conflicts being currently fought which children participate in use children ages fourteen and under. Eighteen percent of these conflicts also use children ages twelve and under. Most of these 300,000 child soldier victims are forcefully recruited, abused and are subjected to the use of drugs.

            At the age of thirteen, Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier in the war driven country of Sierra Leone, was attacked in his village and was separated from his family members when they were killed. Ishmael along with several other children who survived the rebel attack on their village went to a military base for protection but instead they were “forcefully recruited.” Ishmael later said in the CBS interview that the soldiers at the military base threatened him with death if he didn’t join. In many third world countries particularly in parts of Asia and Africa, child soldiers are ideal for war because according to a military commander from Chad they, “Don’t complain, they don’t expect to be paid- and if you tell them to kill, they kill.” Some children are even sold into war by their parents for money while others are separated from their family and by last resort join a side in the war.

            Not only are boys recruited to fight but also girls. Unfortunately, many are subjected to all kinds of abuse including sexual abuse. Out of the armed forces that use child soldiers, thirty percent use girls as well as boys. Many girls  are given the duty of cooks or messengers. Often, these girls are the victims of sexual abuse such as rape by their own military commanders. Another kind of abuse inflicted upon child soldiers is emotional abuse. Like the military commander from Chad said, child soldiers will do anything you tell them to do. If they don’t then they’re faced with the consequence of death. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo child soldiers are forced to, “Burn down huts,” and “Pound newborn babies to death.” In the Palestinian area and in Israel children as young as eleven are used to smuggle explosives into different countries. Children being used as suicide bombers has become so frequent that some people have began to manufacture and sell children sized denim jackets used to conceal explosives.

        Killing was not easy for Ishmael Beah when he was first recruited. In order to cope with the enormous amount of trauma as a result of the war, Ishmael’s military commanders gave him drugs ranging from marijuana to brown-brown, a mixture of heroin and gunpowder or cocaine and gunpowder in order to “numb” himself. However, after the initial use of drugs and once addicted, military commanders would stop giving child soldiers drugs. Ishmael said in the interview, “You had to find them to take them yourself.” Child soldiers like Ishmael were forced to take drugs and then became addicted and would do anything to gain possession of the drugs.

            Although child soldiers have committed countless atrocious acts ranging from smuggling explosives to killing an innocent person in cold blood, one must remember that if they didn’t do these horrible things they would be killed. Ranging anywhere from ages five to seventeen, you can’t expect them to say no for an answer. These children are forcefully recruited, sold into the war, abused and are forced to use drugs. Therefore, child soldiers are victims and not perpetrators.