Around the world today, children are not only the victims of war, but also the participants. At any one time, more than 250,000 girls and boys under the age of 18 are fighting in armed conflicts. These young soldiers are part of government forces and armed opposition groups in more than 30 locations worldwide. And while many child soldiers are between the ages of 15 and 18, some are as young as 7 years old.
Watch the short video Children and Conflict in a Changing World.
If you are having problems viewing this video, please use this link.
The use of children in war is not a recent development. Your assignment is to select one area to become an expert in and present your information to the class in a format of your choice. By the time the presentations are complete you will have a thorough understanding of the complexity of the issue of child soldiers.
1. History. This group will investigate the use of child soldiers in past conflicts, to show that the use of child soldiers is not a new phenomenon. Possible conflicts that this group might investigate include the American Civil War and American Revolution, the use of German, Soviet and Japanese child soldiers in World War II, and use of child soldiers in ancient history.
2. Current Events. This group will investigate what nations are currently using child soldiers, and what are their circumstances, including use of child soldiers in guerrilla armies, difficulty in addressing this issue through international protocol, etc.
3. Economics. This group will investigate the impact of child soldiers on a nation's economy, for example, children who are in the army do not go to school, do not prepare to enter the workforce, etc.
4. Social/Psychological. This group will investigate the effects of children as soldiers on the family as well as the child's mental and emotional state, including how these children re-integrate into the society once the conflict is over.
Resources for Research
Databases
eBooks
Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
Web Resources
The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict - This Web site has a detailed description of the problem, of children and armed conflict. It also highlights the progress made so far. In addition, the site lists every country where children are involved in armed conflict. You can also look through the official UN documents here.
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers - This Web site has a comprehensive database on child soldiers around the world. It also offers a more in-depth look at the status of child soldiers in individual countries around the world.
BEYOND THE FIRE website includes various text and audio stories of teenage refugees, as well as a Resources section.
“Save the Children” Child Soldiers Field Guide (in PDF format)
(Note: you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader to open and view this file. The reader can be downloaded from the Adobe site, http://www.adobe.com)
Human Rights Watch Child Soldiers page
Amnesty International: “War: A Child’s Game?”
BBC “Children of Conflict” (child soldiers) page
Official Site of Andrew Vachss Child Soldiers Resource page
American Friends Service Committee Child Soldiers page