Child Soldiers Should child soldiers be prosecuted or should they be given amnesty? There are thousands of child soldiers committing war crimes around the world in countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, India Iraq, Israel, and more. For many reasons I believe that yes they SHOULD be prosecuted. Many child soldiers willingly join the armed forces. In their eyes, it is to follow in their families footsteps. In “ Child Soldier.Some words don't belong together.” It states that, “Children join for ideological reasons or to avenge the death of a family member,” Also, “Contrary to popular belief, a large portion of child soldiers volunteer,” And finally, “ did not turn them away when they came eager to fight,” However, children join willingly to avenge the death of a family member. Children would do anything to get revenge or save their family. Thus, makes them dangerous because they won't stop until they succeed in what they set out to do. …show more content…
If you don't prosecute child soldiers, commanders will keep using them.
An example in, “Analysis: should child soldiers be prosecuted for their crimes?Pg 1” states that, “ If minor children who have committed serious war crimes are not prosecuted, this could be an incentive for their commanders to delegate them to the dirtiest orders, aiming at impunity.” Also, “Summaative Essay Pg 2,” states that “ Child soldiers have been responsible for some of the most brutal acts in wartime such as rape, mutilation, and mass killings of innocent people,” First of all I would like to direct you to the second piece of evidence. Child soldiers are responsible for man unthinkable actions. These actions change the lives of many people. I believe that the commanders benefit most of all from child soldiers not being prosecuted. If child soldiers are not prosecuted this gives the commander, and the children, reason to think these crimes are okay. And they're
not. Child soldiers take pride in what they do. Thus, making them highly dangerous. If killing someone makes people happy, what will stop them from killing in a normal society? Obviously,People will do anything to make themselves happy. First of all, “Two former interrogators testified that Khadr had bragged about killing a U.S. soldier and that he claimed the day he planted land mines to kill U.S. coalition forces was the happiest day of his life,” (Prasow). Second of all, “When Khadr was angry at his guards he would recall how he killed a U.S. soldier and that would make him happy,” (Prasow). Killing obviously made Khadr happy. Given the facts,Why would you let someone like that, though just a child, into society? If they get let back into society they will kill more than soldiers, they will kill innocent civilians. Some will say that child soldiers are the victims and not the perpetrators. I can see their point but they’re wrong.The reason they are wrong is that they know what they are doing and though it may be for survival most take pride in it. I will bring up a piece of evidence I have used previously. “ Khadr had bragged about killing a U.S. soldier,” (Prasow) What kind of person brags about taking another’s life? Khadr is living proof about child soldiers’ attitudes on killing. Child soldiers know what they are doing and take pride in it. “ There are an estimated 250,000 soldiers in the world today,” (Child Soldier. Some words don't belong together.) There are so many child soldiers committing the worst of war crimes around the world. Child soldiers, no matter how old or how severe the crime is, should be prosecuted. So child soldiers are dangerous no matter what age, because they will do anything to save themselves.
As defined by Timothy Webster, author of Babes with Arms: International Law and Child Soldiers, a child soldier is “any person under the age of eighteen who is or has been associated with any kind of regular or irregular armed group, including those who serve as porters, spies, cooks, messengers and including girls recruited for sexual purposes (Webster, 2007, pp.230). As this definition reveals, a child soldier is more than simply a child with a gun. It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 children under the age of 18, being used as soldiers in 33 conflicts currently, and this figure continues to rise (Webster, 2007, pp.227). Similarly, in 1999 it was estimated that more than 120,000 children, under the age of 18, were used as soldiers to fight ...
The first reason these kids shouldn’t be prosecuted or punished in any way is because it wasn’t their choice to be a soldier to begin with. According to Child Soldiers, Prosecution, most kids were forced to fight and had no choice of weather to enlist or not. There are about 200,000 child soldiers worldwide state's Armed and Underage, (Gettleman) and these kids are doing things their adolescent brains
...t they are easy to access; they are low cost, and easy to manipulate. When children are on the battlefield fighting for their lives, they become more violent and tend to do more killing than usual, raping girls, and torturing others. The armies, militia, and rebel groups recruit the children and separate the community to resist the conscription. The child is being forced to commit murder and turn against their family and friends because this proves that the child is recognized and implicated in the violence they have created. Child soldiers are known to be criminals, traitors, or even terrorists, so they would be held in military prisons. When either girl or boys are captured they go through abusive interrogation procedure, torture, isolations, rape, and death threats. These are the consequences of children being on the battlefield and shortly after being captured.
Children at such a young age don't have the mental ability to think long term about their actions, especially when they are being forced or drugged. Some may argue that if child criminals get punished for their actions, then child soldiers should too, but that is just not the case. The difference being, child criminals choose to commit their crimes, child soldiers are forced to commit crimes. As an example, in the article Child Soldiers it states, “More often than not, children have no say in whether they enlist or not and once recruited the children have become brainwashed through the use of drugs and alcohol” (Child Soldiers).
Children have been used as soldiers in many events, however two that stand out are the use of child soldiers in the Sierra Leone civil war and the drug cartels in Mexico. Most people agree that forcing children to be soldiers is wrong and not humane. The people that make them soldiers transform them into belligerent beings by force. Child soldiers of drug cartels and the armies of Sierra Leone were threatened with their lives if they didn’t become soldiers. The lives of these child soldiers are lives that nobody should live. Situations in both countries are horrible because of the high number of youngsters that are forced to take part in drug use and are transformed into extremely belligerent and inhumane people; in addition they are deprived
Over the past month or two we have been reading many articles and even the book “ Along Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah. These articles and this book have taken us into some child soldiers stories and what it was like having to participate in the war. These children were forced to take part in these crimes, they were brutally tortured, and many were shot because they didn’t obey their commanders. In my opinion I believe that child soldiers should be granted amnesty.
First of all the child soldiers/suicide bombers are located in many different continents all around the world. The majority is based in the Middle East and Africa: Burma, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Congo, Liberia, and also Sierra Leone (British Broadcasting Corporation World Watch). Being poor, disconnected from their families, or get a poor to no education make them more likely to become victims (Human Rights Watch). Girls make up an estimated 10-30% of the child soldiers in Uganda and Nepal (Do Something). Some join because they are too young to realize the consequences that war may bring upon them, and want to be a part of the army because of the weapons they use and uniforms they wear. Being bathed, fed, and properly clothed is another reason for them wanting to be a part of these groups, in which they would not receive during their every-day lives (British Broadcasting Corporation World Watch). The children that survive the war are captured by the rebel groups and are then converted into child soldiers, along with the kids who had just...
Democracy is about choices, and conscription gives us no room to make a choice. Scientists have proven that teenagers haven’t fully develop their mental capacities and brains. If you ever wonder why something you couldn’t fully comprehend in sixth grade, “suddenly” made sense in 10th grade it might be because your brain was and still is developing. You see, there is a region in the brain called the frontal cortex, and it controls reasoning. This area doesn’t develop until later on. This is actually known as one of the reasons as to why teenagers are usually more impulsive than adults. Teenagers tend to act before they think (since the frontal cortex is in charge of this!). Where am I going with this? What effects could the experience of war have in such young undeveloped brains? How can we send these young minds out onto a battlefield when they can’t fully grasp the concept of war and its effects? If they aren’t reasoning and having an idea of what killing another person does to a human being, then they will not be able to understand the
Before it can be decided whether or not to forgive child soldiers, the question, “What is a child soldier?” must be asked. A child soldier, is a person under the age of 18 who is being used, and most often being forced, to fight other people. Some may ask, “How can you force a child to fight if they do not want to?” A better question to ask would be, “Who wants to?” you may think that no child would want to fight, but in their shoes it might be a different story. They have probably lost everything; their homes, food, water, and their safety, so when they see the opportunity to have these things again- they are going to take it. Which is my first reason child soldiers should be forgiven and given amnesty on certain levels. Also, after
Shockingly, many of them have often been spotted carrying very sophisticated weapons, and many weapons that can take down planes. child soldier is detrimental to peace and to children who are the future (British Job p6). most people are wondering why children are used as soldiers. the most basic reason is children are more obedient than adults, they can almost carry out every order from their commander.... ...
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 seemingly always the ones being recruited into the armed forces. These children are said to be fighting in about 75 percent of the world’s conflicts with most being 14 years or younger (Singer 2). In 30 countries around the world, the number of boys and girls under the age of 18 fighting as soldiers in government and opposition armed forces is said to be around 300,000 (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). These statistics are clearly devastating and can be difficult to comprehend, since the number of child soldiers around the world should be zero. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands adolescent children are being or have been recruited into paramilitaries, militias and non-state groups in more than 85 countries (“Child Soldiers: An Overview” 1). This information is also quite overwhelming. Child soldiers are used around the world, but in some areas, the numbers are more concentrated.
Introduction The art plays an important role in the way people live, think, and how they feel about themselves. From the outset, the art in Australia takes a part in shaping and sharing of the cultural identity. The modern movement of the twentieth century in Melbourne and Sydney formed a small supportive group to advance their theories. It provided some the most intensive field and passionately recorded art in Australian history.
Children are a cheap and plentiful resource for military commanders in need of a steady troop supply to war zones. Their underdeveloped ability to assess danger means they are often willing to take risks and difficult assignments that adults or older teenagers will refuse. Children are more impressionable than adults, and depending on their age and background, their value systems and consciences are not yet fully developed.(steel) So since they are so little they will be easy to manipulate their mind so they will kill anybody they tell them to. They are also torn from their families and they get broken down from war, “It’s much more than that.
Dear (to be determined) Child soldiers are fighting everywhere across the world as we speak, and I am writing to you, the International Criminal Court, to share my opinion on why child soldiers should be granted amnesty. While i respect your opinion on why they should be prosecuted, remember that they are still only kids. Some children like Ishmael Beah of Sierra Leone, Africa (who is not a child now, he is 37) who was 12 when he was forced to become a child soldier.
Child Soldiers: The use of children in the military. Child Soldiers have three different roles in armed conflict. They can take a direct part in hostilities, or they can be used for support, such as sexual slaves, lookouts, messengers, and spies. Also, they can be used in the political aspect of war. Because many children have been physically or mentally damaged by their participation in armed conflict, children should not have any involvement in any armed conflict and should be removed indefinitely from warfare. Every child has the right to go to school, free from violence. Children have been used in the military for hundreds of years.