Africa
Child Soldiers
ARE CHILD SOLDIERS ALWAYS FORCED TO BECOME CHILD SOLDIERS?
This website is about child soldiers in Africa. Many child soldiers are forced to become child soldiers but that is not always the case. Many groups recruit children to fight because they are easily intimidated, expendable, and it costs less to have them as soldiers compared to adults. Kids are taken from their homes and their schools and treated horribly and sometimes even given drugs to train them to fight in wars. Even though many children don't have a choice in the matter, some join of their own accord because they think of the armed forces as a way to survive and as their surrogate family (they do not have families of their own). Others have a sense of duty and want to be apart of a cause. Either way, children who join armed forces on their own do not have role models in the their lives and need to eat. In most cases, war causes PTSD in these kids for many years to come and thus proves that war is no place for a child.
M: Child soldiers are forced to become child soldiers most of the time.
EA: In regard to children in war, "Children who have grown up surrounded by violence see this as a permanent way of life. Alone, orphaned, frightened, bored and frustrated, they will often finally choose to fight... When schools are closed and families fragmented there are few influences that can compete with a warrior's life" (Children as Soldiers). This shows that children can choose to fight for themselves because of their situations and because they don't have role models in their lives.
EA: In an investigation of child soldiers, an article by Lizzie Dearden tells, "The boys, as young as 12, were seized from the community of Wau Shilluk in Upper Nile State, near the state capital Malakal, when militants searched from building to building to take them by force." This proves that the boys were forced to become child soldiers because they were taken out of their community and held against their will.
EA: An investigation of child soldier recruitment, it was shown," Stephen describes being frozen with fear as the rebel fighters took him and more than 100 of his classmates. They were given no choice" (Burridge). This is another piece of evidence that shows that the children were forced because the kids were in school when they took them and it even explains that they were given no choice.
EA: Research of child soldiers recruitment has shown, "He said children forced to fight suffer long-term physical and psychological damage. He said it also has a terrible impact on their families and communities" (Schlein). In this case, children were forced to become child soldiers because they will suffer in the long run, however if the people recruiting have strength in numbers they don't care.
EA: Evidence has shown government is slow to stop child soldiers, "UNMISS didn't publicly mention the recruitment despite word of such abductions reaching mission chief Ellen Loej before the HRW report's release... The response from the South Sudan government, which is primarily responsible for freeing the boys" (Patinkin). This shows that they are forced because they wouldn't need to be freed if they weren't taken against their will.
EA: In an investigation of the governments affect on child soldiers, "More than two weeks after the children were taken, it might be too late to bring back the boys before they are sent to fight" (Patinkin). The children, most likely, would not willingly go into a fight where they couldn't go back to their communities and families.
L: Child soldiers can be forced to become child soldiers because of their vulnerability, easily intimidated nature, and because they are expendable. In some cases, children choose to become soldiers because of food, a sense of duty, or a surrogate family.
EA: In regard to children in war, "Children who have grown up surrounded by violence see this as a permanent way of life. Alone, orphaned, frightened, bored and frustrated, they will often finally choose to fight... When schools are closed and families fragmented there are few influences that can compete with a warrior's life" (Children as Soldiers). This shows that children can choose to fight for themselves because of their situations and because they don't have role models in their lives.
EA: In an investigation of child soldiers, an article by Lizzie Dearden tells, "The boys, as young as 12, were seized from the community of Wau Shilluk in Upper Nile State, near the state capital Malakal, when militants searched from building to building to take them by force." This proves that the boys were forced to become child soldiers because they were taken out of their community and held against their will.
EA: An investigation of child soldier recruitment, it was shown," Stephen describes being frozen with fear as the rebel fighters took him and more than 100 of his classmates. They were given no choice" (Burridge). This is another piece of evidence that shows that the children were forced because the kids were in school when they took them and it even explains that they were given no choice.
EA: Research of child soldiers recruitment has shown, "He said children forced to fight suffer long-term physical and psychological damage. He said it also has a terrible impact on their families and communities" (Schlein). In this case, children were forced to become child soldiers because they will suffer in the long run, however if the people recruiting have strength in numbers they don't care.
EA: Evidence has shown government is slow to stop child soldiers, "UNMISS didn't publicly mention the recruitment despite word of such abductions reaching mission chief Ellen Loej before the HRW report's release... The response from the South Sudan government, which is primarily responsible for freeing the boys" (Patinkin). This shows that they are forced because they wouldn't need to be freed if they weren't taken against their will.
EA: In an investigation of the governments affect on child soldiers, "More than two weeks after the children were taken, it might be too late to bring back the boys before they are sent to fight" (Patinkin). The children, most likely, would not willingly go into a fight where they couldn't go back to their communities and families.
L: Child soldiers can be forced to become child soldiers because of their vulnerability, easily intimidated nature, and because they are expendable. In some cases, children choose to become soldiers because of food, a sense of duty, or a surrogate family.
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