Child Soldiers

By: Keshia OrtegaHSP 406-

What Is A Child Soldier

• Misconception- The term ‘child soldier’ has caused confusion and has been criticized for promoting a misleading image of boys with weapons.

• Actual Definition- NICEF (2007) define a ‘child soldier’ as any boy or girl under 18 years of age who is associated with an armed force or armed group in any capacity, such as combatant, porter, cook, servant, nanny, messenger, spy or concubine.

Child Soldiers

Child Soldier

• There are about 300,000 children under 18 serving the military settings.

• Between April 2004 and October 2007, children were involved in military groups in 19 countries, with one half of them being located in Africa.

• Of the 300,000 child soldiers in the world, about 40 percent are in Africa.

• The main countries that contribute to the 40 percent include Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.

Child Soldier Cont

• In Uganda, the wars have been labeled as “a war fought by children” because about 90 percent of the LRA’s (Lord’s Resistance Army) force is fought by children and about 50 percent of that is fought by children between the ages of 11-16.

• Many children are born into the LRA.

LRA

• Joseph Kony founder of LRA• The LRA purposefully seek kids aged 12-14, who they think

are less likely to escape, are more impressionable, and are at their physical peak.

• The time period of abduction last about 342 days; girls last approximately 2 years; whereas, boys last about 258 days

• Just about all females take on the role sex slaves and are usually confined in base camps,

Forms Of Child Abuse

• Child trafficking– Child trafficking has become a very profitable, multi-billion dollar

business– traffickers, make billions of dollars per year purchasing children for as

cheap as $14 a head and selling them into slavery in Europe or the Gulf

• Child slavery• Domestic child servitude• Sexual exploitation• Child soldiers.

Note: In Africa, the abuse of a child is not seen as harmful, but rather than a part of the cultural norms and values.

Why Are Child Soldiers Used?

• Young• Immature• Easy to manipulate and train. • They also cost very little and make obedient soldiers• Because of their age and inherent innocence, they are naturally

perceived as less threatening, which is useful in confusing the adversaries

How Are Child Soldiers Recruited

• Involuntarily recruited– Abducted from their homes– Abducted from refugee camps– Most Frequent targets are secondary schools or

orphanages– Children who are abducted are terrorized, sexually abused,

forced to watch people being hit, raped, and killed– Given away by parents

• Parent offer their children when they cannot provide for them. In some cases armies pay a minor soldier’s wages directly to the family.

Recruitment Continued

• Voluntarily– Hunger and poverty are the most basic reason that children

join armed groups; it’s the only reason to guarantee meals, clothing, or medical

Abduction

Recruitment Facts

• After Surveys:– 40 percent of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia

(FARC) child soldiers are forced into service– 60 percent voluntarily joined the service– 57 percent of the children joined voluntarily– 64 percent joined voluntarily under no threat in four

African countries

Turning A Child Into A Soldier

• The process begins with the child soldier killing someone followed by isolation and an initiation process.

• Indoctrination : Consists of 3 motivators– Coercive motivators based on physical punishment• Most commonly used techniques

– Remunerative motivators based on promise of material rewards

– Normative motivator based on the offer or withdrawal of such psychological rewards as honors and group assistance.

Turning A Child Into A Soldier Cont.

• Training– Short instruction in basic infantry such as how to fire and

clean weapons; lay land mines; set ambushes, etc– Training can last from a day to up to 11 months– States’ training of child soldiers are institutionalized– Rebel group training of child soldiers are less

institutionalized and tend to be shorter – Upon completion children are sent off to fight

Training

In The Field

• due to their lack of maturity, low social status, and promiscuous environment, they are taken advantage of more frequently

• During their time in the field, they are subjected to sexual abuse by others in the field, especially their leaders

• rebels think that young girls are exempt from getting the diseases, which is the reason that there are a high percentage of girls who catch the diseases. – Girls who become infected with diseases- 67 percent of girls with

vaginal candidasis, 60 percent gonorrhea, 54 percent genital warts, 52 percent syphilis, 28 percent genital herpes in a sample size of 123 former LRA female abductees.

Demobilization

• Upon the end of the war, children are reintegrated into society.

• About 13-43% of children, most between the ages of 13-18, make it to a reception center, where they go through a 2-6 week process and receive medical attention and help locating their families.

• There are only 9 reception centers in operation to start the process of reintegration.

• Sadly, many children are left as orphans because their families were killed.

Reuniting With Parent

Health Issues

• Effects on these children include:– sexual health problems– PTSD– depression– low self-esteem– no trust– Guilt– aggressiveness– Scars

Physically Damaging

Treatment

• Researchers are using techniques that allow children to revisit the trauma that they have experience in hopes that they can talk about the experience while sorting out their feelings and emotions. They counselor would help the child to be more constructive in their story telling, such as turning ‘survivor guilt’ into ‘survivor purpose and meaning in life.

International Human Rights Laws

• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC): – Adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 May 2000, entered into

force on 12 February 2002.– OPAC sets 18 as the minimum age for direct participation in hostilities

and for compulsory recruitment by state armed forces.– OPAC also prohibits the recruitment or use in hostilities of under-18s

by non-state armed groups.– Is monitored by the (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Optional Protocol

• Declares that both state and non-state members may not recruit children for war

• Declares the responsibility of states and forbids them from providing aid to countries who use child soldier

• There is an optional clause that allows states to provide assistance to those countries who use child soldier

• President Obama has provided assistance to countries who utilize child soldier as young as eleven years old.

Optional Protocol Cont.

• U.S. is promoting the violation of the Optional Protocol. How can the U.S expect countries to support the Optional Protocol if they don’t? Why are we continuing to support countries that use child soldiers? If we stop with our assistance, will those countries stop utilizing child soldier? Perhaps the numbers will go down to 3 or maybe 2?

Waivers Given To Countries Using Child Soldiers

• He provided Yemen with a waiver even though the State Department had evidence that the Arab state has drafted children as young as 11 into its army;

• the waiver allowed Yemen to obtain $21 million in U.S. military aid.

• President Obama allowed Congo a partial waiver because, he said, it had also moved in a positive direction even though they were not in full compliance with the law While President Obama is providing assistance, Congress does not approve of his actions.

Geneva Convention

• Convention on the Rights of the Child:– Adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989, entered

into force on 2 September 1990.– The Convention on the Rights of the Child generally defines a child as

any person under the age of 18.– Article 38 uses the lower age of 15 as the minimum for recruitment or

participation in armed conflict. – Article 38 requires state parties to prevent anyone under the age of 15

from taking direct part in hostilities and to refrain from recruiting anyone under the age of 15 years.

– OPAC was drafted in order to raise the minimum ages set out in the Convention.

International Humanitarian Law

• Additional Protocols to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 (1977): – The protocols set 15 as the minimum age for recruitment or use in

armed conflict. – This minimum standard applies to all parties, both governmental and

non-governmental, in both international and internal armed conflict.– Article 77(2) of Additional Protocol I: applicable to international armed

conflicts, states:– “The Parties to the conflict shall take all feasible measures in order

that children who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in hostilities and, in particular, they shall refrain from recruiting them into their armed forces.

Invisible Children Tracker

• Last month– 0 Civilian deaths – 1 abductions– 14 returnees

• Last year– 51 Civilian deaths– 519 Abductions– 444 Returnees

• Total count since 2009– 1294 Civilian deaths– 2903 Abductions– 1616 Returnees

Global Concerns

• Abuse• Poverty

– Lack of food– Medical– Education According to leaders in Africa, “socially, we are bringing up a generation of lost Africans who, deprived of their childhood, might end up unable to function as responsible and capable citizens”. Compared to other countries, African children are lacking behind. What will Africa and other countries who utilize child soldier be like? Who will be running the countries? Will the population decrease with the continued use of child soldiers?

References

• Ariyo, Debbie. (2001). The future lost: The economic and social consequences of child abuse in Africa. Retrieved April 23, 2013 from

http://www.afbis.com/analysis/child_abuse.htm• Begley, T.C. (2012). The extraterritorial obligation to prevent the

use the of child soldiers. American University International Law Review, 27(3), 613-641

• Child Soldiers International. (2013). International standards. Retrieved May 11, 2013 from http://www.child-soldiers.org/international_standards.php

• Child Soldiers International. (2013). International standards. Retrieved May 11, 2013 from http://www.child-

References

• Falkenburg, L. (2013). Youth lost: Ugandan child soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army. Retrieved from http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/youth-lost-ugandan-child-soldiers-in-the-lord%E2%80%99s-resistance-army.

• Invisible Children. (2013) LRA Crisis tracker. Retrieved May 11, 2013 from www.lracrisistracker.com

• O'Callaghan, P., Storey, L., & Rafferty, H. (2012). Narrative analysis of former child soldiers' traumatic experiences. Educational & Child Psychology, 29(2), 87-97.

References• Senga, R. K. & Lutala, P. M. (2011). High prevalence of syphilis

among demobilized child soldiers in Eastern Congo: a cross-sectional study. Conflict & Health, 5(1), 16-19. doi: 10.1186/1752-1505-5-16.

• Singer, P. W. (2006). Children at war. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

• Tennant, M. (2012). Obama allows aid to countries using child soldiers. Retrieved April 27, 2012 from http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/12415-obama-allows-aid-to-countries-using-child-soldiers