LydiaJirikowic

Ms.Robillard
LA8Hr.5
March222015
Arechildsoldiersvictims?
Haveyoueverthoughtaboutgoingtowar,evenwhenyouwere7yearsold?Wellin
somecountries,includingUganda,theIvoryCoastandLibyachildrenasyoungas7areforced
tofightinbrutalwars.Stategovernmentsandothergroupshavebeenforcingyoungchildrento
fightforthem.Notonlyarethechildrenbeingforcedtofight,butalsotakedrugsthattheywill
eventuallybecomeaddictedto.Thesechildrenrisktheirliveseverydaybecauseofthis.Ibelieve
thatchildsoldiersarevictims.
Somepeoplesaythatthechildrenaregivingthemselvesuptothesemilitarygroups.
Somekidsdovolunteer,buttheyonlyvolunteerbecauseoftheextremepovertyandalackof
hope.Thisistheonlyreasonwhythesechildrengivethemselvesuptothesegroupsisbecause
ofafalsesenseofhope,protection,andtheythinkthattheywillgetfed.Thechildrenfeelthis
waybecausetheirhomesandtownsareoftendestroyed.Anotherreasonwhypeoplemightthink
thatchildsoldiersarepredatorsisbecausetheysignuptogohelpthegroupsbecausetheythink
thathelpingthegroupsisagoodthingandthatitisbrave.
Thesechildrenareforcedoutoftheirhomesbythegovernmentormilitarygroups.
AmnestyInternationalsaidthatchildrenareoftenabductedfromlocalstreets,homes,andeven
schools("ChildSoldiersForcedtoFight").Oncethemilitary/governmenthasburneddownthe
townsandhomesthekidshavenootherplacetogo.Thisgivesthegroupsaperfectchanceto

abductthechildrenandconvinceorforcethemtogowiththegroups.Thisisthemostcommon
waythegroupsgettheirchildren.About300,000childrenaretakenawayfromtheirhomesand
forcedtorisktheirlives,about20countriesbetween2010and2012haveusedchildrenfor
combat("ChildSoldiersForcedtoFight").Thesepeoplehaveforcedabout300,000childrento
gowiththem.About20countriesareusingforceeventodaytogettheirchildsoldiers.Children
attheageof713aretargetedbymilitantgroupsanddictatorshipstofightinconflicts("Child
SoldiersForcedtoFight").Thechildrenatabouttheageof713areeasierforthesoldiersto
captureandtakewiththem.Thisalsomakesiteasiertomovefromcamptocampforthemilitant
groups.Italsogivesthemabetterchanceofnotgettingcaughtbypeoplewhocouldpotentially
helpandtakeawaythechildrenfromthemilitantgroups,realizingthatmakingthekidsfightis
nottherightthingtodo,anditisnotaverygoodwayforsolvingproblems.Thisreasonalso
leadstothenexttopicthatkidsdonothaveachoice.
Mostofthechildrendonthaveachoice.Oneofthemainreasonswhychildrenareused
assoldiersisbecauseofextremepoverty,insomedevelopingnationstheparentsaresopoorthat
theygiveoftheirchildrentomilitiasformoney("ChildSoldiersForcedtoFight").Eveniftheir
familyhousesandtownsdontgetburneddownthereisstillapossibilitythattheyaregoingto
beforcedintoamilitarygroupanyway.Alsosomefamiliesgivetheirchildrenawayformedical
attention.Insomeotherinstancesthechildrenaren'tbeingtakencareof("ChildSoldiersForced
toFight").Theparentsorguardiansofsomeofthesechildrenreallycanttakecareofthemdue
tomoneyorotherissues.Someofthesechildrendontgettoeatmealssotheparentsthinkthatif
theygivethemtothegroupstheywillgetfedandtakenbettercareof,butreallythisisdoing
moreharmthangoodforthesechildren.Thosewhobecomepregnantafterbeingrapedare

unabletofindapersonwithintheircommunitytolivewiththeyareessentiallydoomedtolivein
povertyfortherestoftheirlives("ChildSoldiersForcedtoFight").Forthosewhogetoutofthe
war,theyareluckyenoughiftheyevenhaveanyfamilyleftthatisstillaliveandwillingtotake
careofthechild.Anotherreasonwhychildsoldiersarevictimsisbecausethechildrenare
drugged.
Thechildrenareforcedintotakingdrugs.Theyhavebecomeaddictedtothedrugsthat
thegroupshadforcedthemtotake,theysmokedmarijuana,andtheysniffedamixtureof
cocaineandgunpowder,theycalleditbrown,brown
(Beah)
.Whentheyfirstgettothecamps
theotherpeoplemakethechildrentakewhitepills.Afterafewdaysorsothechildrenwilltake
thepillsbythemselvesbecausetheyhavenowbecomeaddictedtothemandtheywilleventually
needthem,andtakethemontheirown.Afterthechildrengetoutofthewarandintothe
recoverypart,itisoftenveryhardforthechildrennottowantthosepills.Thismakesthe
recoverypartworse.Beingforcedtotakethedrugscanalsohaveabadimpactonyourbody
Mybodyshook,mysightbecameblurredandIlostmyhearingforseveralminutes
(Beah).
The
drugscanalsohaveabadimpactonthebody.ThedrugsIshmaelBeahhadmademyhearing
goawayforafewminutes,italsomademybodyshakewithoutstopforawhile
(Beah)
.The
childrenhadnoideaofwhattheywerebeingforcedtodo,theynolongerhadtheabilitytothink
forthemselvesthedrugswouldtakeover.Aftertakingthedrugsitnotonlymakesthemadanger
tootherpeople,butitalsomakesthemadangertothemselves.Takingthedrugscancausemore
painforthem,sometimesthepainandthesufferingtobecometoomuchforthechildrento
handle,thencausingthemtocommitsuicide.Thecombinationofthesedrugsmadeusfierce.
Theideaofdeathdidntcrossmymind,andkillinghadbecomeaseasyasdrinkingwater.After

thatfirstkilling,mymindhadstoppedmakingremorsefulrecords,orsoitseemed
(Beah)
.The
drugscanalsomakethemevenmorenonsensitivetokillingandhurting.Withthecombination
ofthedrugsandthebrainwashingitmakesthesekidsmorementallyunstable.Thedrugswill
alsomaketherehabilitationprocessalotlongerandmoretedious.Thesedrugsarejustanother
reasontosupportthatchildsoldiersarevictims.
Asyoucannowimaginechildsoldiersarethevictims.Childsoldiersarevictimsbecause
theyareforcedoutoftheirhome,theydonthaveadecision,andtheyaredruggedintokilling.
Thisisanimportantissuebecausethisisstillhappeningincruelmessedupcountries,where
theyarestillforcingthesechildrenintosomethingthatisinhumane.Thesechildrendonot
deservethistraumaticchildhood.

WorksCited
Beah,Ishmael."TheMaking,andUnmaking,ofaChildSoldier."
TheNewYorkTimes
.The
NewYorkTimes,13Jan.2007.Web.01Mar.2015.
"ChildSoldiersForcedtoFight."
ChildfundInternational
.N.p.,2015.Web.20215.
"ForcedtoFight,ChildrenSufferAllTheirLives."
DW.DETopStories
.DeutscheWelle,n.d.
Web.01Mar.2015.