Child Combatants

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Sometimes dealing with children can be a battle in itself, but in many countries, children fight the battles that adults have created. These young people are known as children warriors, soldiers, and combatants. The use of children in war is an unfortunate issue; but it is part of some people’s everyday life. Whether the child is fighting for their government or their life, they are often in constant danger. The foreign policies that have been put in place to protect children have yet to halt the ever-growing amount of children combatants.

The history and reasons why children join

Child combatants have been found on the battlefield throughout history. One of the first notable examples of the use of child combatants was the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth), a militia group of young boys, that fought in the Nazi party during the closing days of World War II. There has since been a rise of children combatants on the modern-day battlefield. The rise in using children in combat is due to many factors. One of those factors are the crumbling social structures that surround children in the war torn countries. Without a solid social structure, children are more likely to be found on the battlefield. Additionally, a large majority of children volunteer to become soldiers. They often believe that the best option for survival is to join the fight instead of risking their lives battling against it. Other children enlist because they want to seek revenge on behalf of their families who have been murdered, raped, tortured, and abused by the conflict. (Kaplan) Other factors that lead children to join on the battlefield include poverty, lack of work, and few educational opportunities. Many girls that have joined have reported enlisting to escape do...

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"International Standards." The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, 2007. Web. 9 March 2011. .

"Children and Armed Conflict." UNICEF. UNICEF, 29 April 2008. Web. 9 March 2011. .

"History of the War." Invisible Children. Invisible Children, n.d. Web. 10 March 2011. .

"Child Soldiers." Amnesty International. Amnesty International USA, 2011. Web. 9 March 2011. .

"World Map of Child Soldiers." World Map of Child Soldiers. Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, 2007. Web. 9 March 2011. .

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