Should Child Soldiers Be Granted Amnesty

Many kids are involved around the world in violent wars as child soldiers. These children who were forced into being soldiers had no other choice but to face their own death and therefore should be granted amnesty. This is because the great majority of the kids were forced into being war fighters. Even then, some people think that just because they’re kids doesn’t change the fact that they have performed horrible acts, and that they should be punished for their actions. Also, these kids were forced to take drugs and drink alcohol which influenced bad decisions and made them less thoughtful about the harm they were doing. So, child soldiers should get another chance and be granted amnesty after proven worthy.
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

wouldn't make them do unless they were forced. There are young boys with weapons and girls doing sexual acts and it’s all by force. These children’s only two options are to kill or be killed, and that is not much of a choice.
Although there are many good reasons to let these kids off the hook, some don’t believe that is reasonable. Certain Adults thinks that just as any kid would in the U.S., these children should be prosecuted for their war crimes. They think that the kids can’t be “fixed.” The kids are considered “brainwashed” to some (Armed and Underage) and can’t go back. Also, according to Armed and Underage, “Their growth has been stunted by conflict-induced famines, their psyches damaged by all the killings they have witnessed.” And although this may be somewhat true, people don’t seem to get that the former child soldiers are victims too. The kids shouldn't be prosecuted because the solder has suffered abuse, physical and psychological, as well. And just because something is damaged, doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed.
The final reason for former child soldiers to be granted amnesty is that they were forced to take drugs and drink alcohol.

Everyone knows how alcohol can stunt a child's growth of the brain and body, as well as drugs damaging their decision making (Child Soldiers, Prosecution). Not to mention if they are high or drunk that will sway their decisions to a side they normally wouldn’t go. Their leaders have forced them into taking unknown substances or drink a large amount of an alcohol that easily affects the young kids. This makes the kids follow orders easier, but makes them incapable of telling what is right or wrong. Which to their leaders, just makes them “the perfect weapon”(Armed and Underage). It is ultimately not their fault that they have hurt others and if the blame is put on someone, it should be on the ones who recruited and who controlled

them.
Clearly former child soldiers should be granted amnesty after proving they can function in the real world. These kids were forced to enlist without another choice but to, themselves, be dead. Plus they were unwillingly using drugs and alcohol. Such substances would negatively affect anyone's mind, decisions, and actions, so people have to understand that it affects kids worse. Even then, there are some that believe that they should be punished for their actions, regardless of why or how it happened. But people need to take into consideration that these are children who deserve another chance to live a successful life, just like anyone else.“If a child under the age of 15 is considered too young to fight, then he or she must also be considered too young to be held criminally responsible for serious violations of IHL while associated with armed forces or armed groups” (Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted for Their Crimes).