KatelynBrumbaugh

Ms.Robillard
LA8Hour7
12March2015

ChildSoldiers
Theirparentsarekilledbyarmiesraidingtowns.Oneofthesoldierscomesuptothem
andasksthemiftheywanttobecomeasoldier.Hesaystothemthearmywouldofferthem
protectionsuchasshelterandfood.Whatdotheydo?Childsoldiershavebeenvictimsforalong
time.Childrenareusedasguards,shieldsinwar,andweapons.Childsoldiersarevictims,they
arenotpredators.
Childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyaretrickedandforcedintojoiningthearmy.
IshmaelBeahwasachildsoldier,thisiswhathappenedtohim.Thechildsoldiersaretoldthatif
theyjointhearmy,theywillbeofferedprotectionsuchasshelterandfood.Thisevidenceshows
thatthesoldierslietothekids,givingthemfalseinformation.Theyaresugarcoatingwar,which
influencesthechildrentojoin.Thechildrenarealsoinastatethattheycanbeliedtoveryeasily
andthepeopletellingthemtheliesknowit.ThisisIshmaelBeahspersonalexperience.The
childrenaretoldthatiftheybecomepartofthearmy,theywillbethecountrysheroes.This
evidenceshowsthattheyaretrickedintojoiningthearmy.Thepeopletellingthemthisare
exaggeratingthetruthextremely.Thechildrenarejoiningforreasonsthatdontexist.Thisis
alsoIshmaelbeahspersonalexperience.Thechildrenaresometimesgiventhechoicetocome,
buttheyknowthatiftheysaytheydontwanttotheywillbekilledonsight.Theyarealso
forcedintowarandarenotactingontheirownfreewill.Thissupportsmytopicbecauseit

showshowthechildrenareforcedtodomanythings,thingsthattheydontwanttodo.Almost
allofthesethingsareagainsttheirfreewill.Theopposingsidewillsaytheyaregiventhechoice
togoandtheychosetobesoldiers,butalmostallofthemknowthatiftheydonotjointheywill
bekilled
Childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyaredruggedandlearntousedrugsatavery
youngage.ThisisfromanarticletheNewYorkTimes.Whenthechildrenfirstjointhearmy,
theyaregivenwhitepillstotaketonumbtheirsensesuntilthepointwheretheyarealmostnot
human.Thechildsoldiersaredruggedalmosttothepointofnoreturn.Allactionsmadelaterin
theirlifeasachildsoldierareinfluencedbythewhitepills.Thecommanderstellthechildrenthe
pillswithhelpthebygettingridofanynightmarestheywouldhave.Thisisfromtrueevents
experiencedbyIshmaelBeah.Childrenthatbecomechildsoldiersareintroducedtodrugsalot
earlierinlifethatmostkidsshould.Whentheboysarestandingguardatthebase,theypassthe
timebysniffingbrownbrownwhichisamixofgunpowderandcocain.Thisshowshowchild
soldierslearntousedrugsataveryyoungage.Theygetaddictedearlyinlifeandusuallydie
youngiftheyarenotkilledinwar.Takingdrugslikethiscanveryeasilyleadtoevenmore
violentactions.ThisisfromanarticleintheNewYorkTimes.Thechildrenalsostarttosmoke
marijuanaatveryyoungages.Thecombinationofthesedrugscreatesmindlessmonstersforthe
armytoworkwith.Thechildrenhavenosayinwhethertotakethesedrugsornot.Theyare
doingthisagainsttheirownfreewill.
Childsoldiersarevictimsbecausetheyaretortured.ThisisfromIshmaelBeahs
personalexperiences.Childsoldiersarebeingkilledandsexualyabused.Thisjustgoestoshow
howtheyarebeingtortured.Ifsomeoneweretosexualyabuseanotherpersontheywouldbeput

ontrialandthrowninjail.Itsthesameifsomeoneweretomurderanotherperson.Thisisfrom
theNewYorkTimes.Thechildsoldiersarementallytorturedfromseeingandcausingother
peoplesdeaths.Thisshowsanotherwaytheyarepsychologicallyabused.Littlekidsshould
neverhavetoexperienceanythinglikethis.TheyexperiencePTSD.Thisisalsofromtrueevents
experiencedbyIshmaelBeah.Alltheviolentscenestheyexperiencecausesthemtohave
nightmares.Thisisyetanotherwaythatchildsoldiersarephysiologicallyabused.Thechildren
experiencingthesenightmaresarenotgettingtheproperamountofsleep.Notgettingenough
sleepmakesthemslackoffgettingthempunishedfornotworking.Thisisallatruestoryfrom
IshmaelBeah.Childsoldiersareexpectedtoworkonverylittlefoodandwater.Theyarealso
expectedtoleadthearmyintoraidsofrebeltowns.Asifnotgettingenoughsleepwasntenough
tortureforthem,theyalsoarenotgettingfedproperly.Thisisleadingtoanextremelossof
energy.Theyareshockedorwhippedwhentheyarenotdoingtheworktheywereassigned.
Somepeoplemaysaythatchildsoldiersarepredators,buttheyarejustpiecescaughtina
gameofwar.Thechildrenthateventuallybecomechildsoldiersareforcedortrickedinto
becomingtheminthefirstplace,whentheyarebroughtbacktoanarmybasetheyaretortured
andabused.TakeitfromIshmaelBeah,hewasachildsoldierforyears,thisevidencecomes
fromhispersonalexperiences.Itiseasytoseewherepeoplewhothinkchildsoldiersare
predatorsarecomingfrombutwhenyoulearnhowthechildrenareforcedtotakeapillcausing
themtohavealmostnohumanemotionyourethinkthatstatement.
SomePeoplealsosaytheyareathreattotheusa.Insomecasesthisistrue,butinmost
itsjustbecausetheyhavebeentaughtandhavelivedalongthoselinesforyears.Thisistrue

howeverwithgoodtherapytheycanbehelped.AlsoalotofthemaregratefultotheUnited
Statesforsavingthem,thereforetheyarenothreatatall.
Childsoldiersarevictims,notpredators.Childsoldiersaretrickedandforcedintodoing
thingstheydontwanttodo,theyareintroducedandforcedtotakedrugsataveryyoungage,
andtheyarebeingtorturedinmanydifferentwaysmentallyandphysically.Thisisimportant
becausepeopleneedtoknowwhatisgoingonintheworld,noteverythingishappylikesome
peoplemakeitouttobe.Thisisjustoneofthemanyexamplesofflawsinourworld.Whatcan
youdotohelpstopchildrenfrombecomingchildsoldiers?

WorksCited
Couric,Katie."EyetoEye:IshmaelBeah."
CBSNews
.CBS.WFRV,GreenBay,Wisc.,5June
2007.Television.
"ChildSoldiersandtheGlobalAgenda."
:TheUN'sInvolvementontheIssueofChildSoldiers
.
N.p.,20Oct.2008.Web.09Mar.2015.