Are child soldiers only boys?

What are child soldiers forced to do? Child soldiers are boys and girls who are often abducted and used as combatants, forced to act as human shields or conduct executions, deployed as suicide bombers, or used to make or transport explosives.

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Who can be a child soldier?

Any girl or boy below the age of 18 who is recruited or used by an armed force or armed group, in any capacity. A child soldier is not just someone who is involved in fighting.

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Who might recruit child soldiers?

Most are recruited by non-state groups. 2. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Syria and Yemen currently have the largest number of child soldiers.

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Do child soldiers have a choice?

Although child soldiers are often forcefully recruited, it is not the primary way that children, both male and female, become involved in armed conflict. Participation frequently comes down to despair. While there is usually an element of “choice” involved, that term is used very loosely.

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What is the youngest age recorded for child soldiers?

Observers noted multiple child soldiers, some as young as 12 years old, serving in Sadr's “Mahdi” Army that fought pitched battles with U.S. and British forces.

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The harsh reality of child soldiers

20 related questions found

Are child soldiers a war crime?

Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for recruitment and use of children in hostilities. Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 as soldiers is prohibited under international humanitarian law – treaty and custom – and is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.

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What happens to child soldiers after war?

Recruitment into the atrocities of war often affects every aspect of a child's development. Children experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), not to mention any injuries they might accrue that did not receive medical attention, deprivation of food and shelter and lack of education.

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Are soldiers given condoms?

For the military, condoms can be ordered through your supply chain. Order a box and leave them for your battle buddies by the Staff Duty Officer. Male condoms are made of natural skin, latex or polyurethane (plastic).

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Are child soldiers forced to fight?

What are child soldiers forced to do? Child soldiers are boys and girls who are often abducted and used as combatants, forced to act as human shields or conduct executions, deployed as suicide bombers, or used to make or transport explosives.

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Do child soldiers get brainwashed?

Once recruited, many are brainwashed, trained, given drugs and then sent into battle with orders to kill. There is no escape for what the United Nations and human rights groups estimate are 250,000 child soldiers today. These children, some as young as 8, become fighters, sex slaves, spies and even human shields.

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Are there female child soldiers?

Nearly 75 per cent of conflicts today involve recruitment of children, and well over half of these have included girls. The data also tell us that the longer a conflict continues, the more likely girls are to be recruited and exploited by armed actors.

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Are girls also serving child soldiers?

In Colombia, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq and South Sudan, both girls and boys became child soldiers for a wide range of reasons: presence of conflict and normalization of violence, access to basic needs for survival or family assistance, lack of opportunities including ...

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Do child soldiers Go to war?

Thousands of boys and girls are used as soldiers, cooks, spies and more in armed conflicts around the world. Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world.

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Can a girl become a soldier?

All wings of the Indian Armed Forces have women in combat roles. Women are allowed in combat services and supervisory roles (as officers). Indian Air Force had 13.09% and 8.50%, Indian Navy 6% and 3% women, and Indian Army 3.80% and 3% in December 2018 and December 2014 respectively.

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What do girl child soldiers do?

According to the United Nations (UN), 40% of all child soldiers are girls. The girls are not only victims of sexual slavery or relegated to domestic tasks, but they are also given weapons training and deployed to combat.

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What is the oldest age to be a soldier?

The oldest you can be to enlist for active duty in each branch is:
  • Coast Guard: 31.
  • Marines: 28.
  • Navy: 39.
  • Army: 35.
  • Air Force: 39.
  • Space Force: 39.

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At what age is a child no longer a military dependent?

Unmarried biological, step-children and adopted children are eligible for TRICARE until age 21 (or 23 if in college, see "College Students" below). Eligibility may extend beyond these age limits if he or she is severely disabled.

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How do child soldiers feel?

The reality of former child soldiers

Mental health is often more complicated than it seems. Former child soldiers do not have to cope with only one mental illness, but usually with a combination of them. Those former child soldiers that suffer from PTSD will likely suffer from depression and anxiety.

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Is being a military kid traumatic?

Children in military families experience high rates of mental health, trauma and related problems. Military life can be a source of psychological stress for children. Multiple deployments, frequent moves and having a parent injured or die is a reality for many children in military families.

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Can female soldiers get pregnant?

Can You Get Pregnant in the Military? Yes! Each branch of the military has slightly different regulations regarding getting pregnant in the military, but you will not be discharged or reprimanded simply for becoming pregnant during service.

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Does the Army do balls?

It is held by each service branch. Hence, there are 5 military balls a year — The formal Army ball, the formal Marine Corps ball, the formal Navy ball, the formal Air Force ball, and the formal Coast Guard ball. They are held on their service branch birthdays — The Army ball is on June 14.

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Can soldiers have Tik Tok?

The Defense Department as a whole, as well as the Army and Navy, has advised against using TikTok and banned downloads of it on official phones. But using it on personal phones is up to each individual.

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Is it true that more boys are born after a war?

The phenomenon is real.

Scientists have known for a long time that an increased number of boys are born during and after major wars. The phenomenon was first noticed in 1954 with regard to white children born during World War II in the United States.

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What countries are still using child soldiers?

Repeat Offenders. Several of the countries on the 2022 CSPA list have a long history of being implicated in child soldiers use. In particular, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Yemen have been listed each year since the list began in 2010.

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