All around the world, children are being forced out of their homes and onto battlefields to fight for what they are led to believe is the right thing. Military commanders who are short on troops take over villages and force the children to fight for the government. Though some of them have committed unspeakable acts, many people believe that these children deserve amnesty, as they were forced into their positions. Also, they can’t refuse the government for threat of death. Because of this and more, child soldiers should clearly be granted amnesty. One of many reasons that child soldiers do not deserve punishment for their crimes is the fact that none of these people were bad to begin with. They were forced to watch their families die right in front of them. Also, most of these children feel terrible about the crimes they’ve committed unless brainwashed to feel otherwise. There are exceptions, but the majority would have never committed a crime if they hadn’t been recruited. Although some claims may lead to the opposite, most child soldiers are not completely evil and won’t kill on sight. Some people will attempt to lead others to believe that these innocent children deserve to spend the …show more content…
These people often claim that they could have been heroic and died rather than kill on the battlefield, but they physically can’t. As stated in a branch of the web article “Who Runs Your Life?”, there is actually a human instinct that comes with the portion of the “Fight or Flight” response that shuts down the frontal lobe, making people physically incapable of making a decision that would take their own life (Schwartz). This instinct is only active around the ages of 5-15, and just doesn’t work around 2% of the time. Uncoincidentally, about 1.5% of potential child soldiers refuse to join and are
In the world today, there is more than 25 countries who still actively use children in warfare. Child soldiers are human beings under the age of 18 who participate in military actions. They are evidently cheaper to maintain and to train than adult soldiers. They are also more loyal and obedient because the young respect their elders. It has been noted that estimately, 300 thousand children were recruited to fight and perform in war (Child Soldiers.)
To start off, there was never any justice done for the kids who were child soldiers because people weren’t paid for certain jobs they did because of their age. This idea was supported in the article “Armed & Underaged” by
Many children live in an environment that is constantly under threat of conflict. Child soldiers are an ongoing problem because children should not be forced to kill and have their innocence stripped from them. This issue requires citizens to take action because children should not be forced to fight in a war that they did not
These child soldiers are also usually brainwashed and forced to take drugs before committing violence. If child soldiers are “fixed,” they shouldn’t be punished or judged because of their acts as a child soldier. There are many reasons supporting that former child soldiers should be granted amnesty, as long as they prove that they are cured and will not continue to be violent. To begin with, child soldiers are often forced into the position of being a child soldier, and are also forced to be violent. ”Most children are forcibly recruited.”
In the article Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes it says,“if a child is under the age of 15 is considered too young to fight then he or she must be considered too young to be held criminally responsible for serious violations.” This explains how that they are easily manipulated and targeted because they aren't legally responsible to take responsibility for their actions. Each child were held in hostilities and couldn't have to opportunity to not fight. Also in Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes a report within the article it says, “ The report says child soldiers should not be prosecuted simply for the association with an armed group of having participation in hostilities.” Children are targeted to be recruited to war because nobody can take responsibility for the
But, some children do willingly join the armed forces in order to work for their country. These child soldiers are often persuaded into harming their families to make sure that they are not capable of leaving the army and returning to a
Some believe that all child soldiers should be punished for their crimes since they still committed murder, and they
Also in the article “Guilt and Child Soldiers,” Kristen again goes on about how much layers of background these young individuals have to go through. “The feelings of guilt that child soldiers experience seem to indicate that they see themselves…. Responsible for their actions even if other people may not think they are.” (Thomason para 1) Because of this, most of these kids sat reminiscing their faults while guilt ate away every last part of their innocence. Being tricked and wielded to someone else 's satisfaction is just one way that displays why child soldiers deserve
The most important reason why child soldiers should be granted amnesty is because it is not their will to commit these crimes, it is simply being forced into act they would never commit unless their life was on the line. Emma Gordon, writer on E-international Relations Students says, “Children are often abducted at a young age, brutally initiated and forced to commit heinous atrocities, they are undoubtedly victims of these conflicts” (2011). Gordon uses the word “abducted” which shows that most if not all of child soldiers don’t chose to live that way. Additionally, the bulletin health
Despite the fact that some people believe that child soldiers should not be given amnesty, I strongly believe that child soldiers should be given amnesty because they have been brainwashed, forced into the military, and children are too young to fully understand their actions. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they have been brainwashed. Children are young and can be vulnerable to new people and ideas. According to a summative essay, “More often than not, children have no say in whether
In the article “Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted for their Crimes?” it states, “‘... this principle might mitigate the responsibility of a child soldier who was forcibly recruited and forced, under threat of harm, to commit war crimes,’ ICRC adviser Young said”(Johannesburg). This shows that sometimes child soldiers are forced into committing a war crime which is illegal. And it would be very unfair if child soldiers were prosecuted because it is their commanders that are pushing them and forcing them to do such acts. It isn’t the child 's fault because they don’t know or understand what is happening and they don’t know they are doing something wrong because the leader told them to do it.
When these children use their weapons, others are killed, and these children can get prosecuted. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are not fully responsible for their actions, they join without fully knowing what they are doing and for reasons other than wanting to fight, and they should be rehabilitated instead of being prosecuted. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are not fully responsible for their actions. Often, child soldiers are doing what they do because of drugs or because they are being forced to. Most times child soldiers are not doing what they want.
When I think of a soldier, I think of a strong young man fighting for his country. When I think of a child, I get the image of a young child playing outside with no worries in the world and no responsibilities. However, this is not true, as there are millions of children who have become child soldiers and have been displaced in the world. What makes children want to become child soldiers? Children become soldiers for their governments, as they recruit them.
Assignment page Video Where many children all over the world merrily and freely live under the protection of the law, for others, this is a distant reality, they live in a world where they’re battling poverty, stripped of their childhood and basic human rights are expunged, they’re the innocent victims of conflict, and war is made to seem their one and only duty, not to mention that these are children no more than 10 years of age. They are put into a situation where it’s to kill or be killed. The United Nations defines a child soldier as, “Any person under 18 years of age who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity.” Since the past 15 years, child soldiers are being used in almost every region of the world. Unlike most children, who go to school, they’re abducted from their families and forced into becoming a child soldier, where living conditions are beyond imaginable.
However, what they’ve done doesn 't come with the fact that child soldiers live with rugged conditions, drugs, the influence of others. Even though some people believe that child soldier’s shouldn’t be given amnesty, overall, it becomes clear that these children should be given amnesty because many adults influence their actions, they live in inferior conditions, and children who enlist as child soldiers enlist for multiple reasons other than violence. First, in many areas, it can be clearly seen that child soldiers are influenced by their superiors. No one is ever born dangerous, it’s always their parents and environment that shape a child into who they are.