where are they?
A map showing countries with child soldiers in red
Where Are They Located?
Isaac Poe,
Taylor Brannan,
Many countries still exist with child soldiers. Some of these countries include Burundi, Colombia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Iraq, Kazakhstan and many other places. There are many different ways that these countries use child soldiers. Afghanistan, DRC, Colombia, Israel, and many others use them for their national army. ”Approximately 300,000 children are believed to be combatants in some thirty conflicts worldwide.”(Council on Foreign Relations). In Burundi children as young as ten played a big role in the conflict of serving for the armed forces. 14,000 children serve in combat in Colombia and a quarter of which are girls, often they are forced to commit human rights violations. In the DRC most of the children are abducted, the education they receive includes being forced to commit rape, killing their own families, and performing cannibalistic or sexual acts on the corpses of their enemies.
Why do children serve in these countries?
There are many countries in war with child soldiers with many reasons that children would get recruited or even volunteer in these countries. Some reasons that children are recruited is because they follow orders and are cheap and easy to train. They do not disobey and usually don’t ask for pay. Some reasons that they may volunteer would be because they have economic or social pressures. They think it is a better alternative to have a gun and free meals than to sit at home alone in fear. They also may think that this group will offer them food, shelter, or even an income.
There are many countries in war with child soldiers with many reasons that children would get recruited or even volunteer in these countries. Some reasons that children are recruited is because they follow orders and are cheap and easy to train. They do not disobey and usually don’t ask for pay. Some reasons that they may volunteer would be because they have economic or social pressures. They think it is a better alternative to have a gun and free meals than to sit at home alone in fear. They also may think that this group will offer them food, shelter, or even an income.
Life in these places
There are many countries with war for many reasons and this causes life to be very harsh in those places. They do not not only use boys as child soldiers they also use girls, sometimes the girls are subjected to sexual abuse. Some girls even get impregnated by their commanders then forced into combat with their babies strapped to their backs. About 30% of armed groups that use children include girls. If more people knew about what is going on there in everyday life I think that people would care more about this issue and would want to make a difference.
There are many countries with war for many reasons and this causes life to be very harsh in those places. They do not not only use boys as child soldiers they also use girls, sometimes the girls are subjected to sexual abuse. Some girls even get impregnated by their commanders then forced into combat with their babies strapped to their backs. About 30% of armed groups that use children include girls. If more people knew about what is going on there in everyday life I think that people would care more about this issue and would want to make a difference.
This info graphic shows the frequency of children being deported in these countries
2014