Civil Rights: Child Soldiers
Today there are over three hundred thousand children working as soldiers in many of the armed conflicts around the world. The kids are young, some as young as eight years of age, and are being drafted to serve in armed government forces. They are also being drafted to work in armed opposition groups. These opposition groups include militias, gangs, terrorist organizations and resistance forces. They are participating in all types of conflict such as suicide missions and fighting on the front lines. The children also are acting as spies, lookouts, and messengers. Some join because they believe that the best chance for their survival is to join in the conflict. Others are either abducted or recruited using force. The rest are enticed by money, drugs, food, and other things. Also living in a combat zone or being displaced or separated from their family, or both, can lead to children getting recruited to be soldiers. While some think of child soldiers as being mostly boys, there are quite a lot of girls that get brought into armed conflict as well. Over 30% of armed organizations that use children, use girls as well for various reasons. The girls might be forced into sexual slavery, along with being at risk from long-lasting psychological wounds along with physical wounds. In many countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America, child soldiers have been found in armed and ongoing conflicts in recent years. Also there is evidence that some governments still draft child soldiers under the legal age of 18 to use in their armed conflict.
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